Charlotte's Web, Jolex, Grey's Anatomy
by Gracie Becker
Summary: Alex and Jo were recently married and were beginning to settle into a routine as husband and wife. One day, Jo answers the phone and hears the voice of Alex's sister, Amber, on the other line. In an instant, everything is drastically different. Suddenly, they go from being carefree newlyweds to acquiring new roles that challenge and change their lives.
1. Chapter 1 -Babies with Unexpected Issues

**Babies with Unexpected Issues**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 1**

Jo taunted Alex as he got ready for work, "Too bad you forgot to arrange to take the day off. You could be right here next to me." Alex huffed and grinned without a word. Jo stretched out, "Oh this bed is soooo comfortable! I think I'll just take a little nap." She closed her eyes, and Alex jumped at the chance to tickle her. Jo laughed and Alex wouldn't stop. "Now who's sorry?" he asked as he slowed the tickling and began to kiss her. She grabbed his shoulders and brought him close to her, whispering, "Why would I be sorry about this?" He smiled, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "Because it isn't gonna last long." He looked at his watch and sadly stated, "I really have to go." Jo stretched out on the bed again, attempting to take up both his spot and hers as she threw a pillow at him. "You missed!" he celebrated, as the pillow landed to his right and he hurried down the stairs.

As he headed to the car, he thought to himself, _This last month has been the best. Man, I love my wife. _Their wedding and honeymoon had been incredible, and now their day to day lives as a married couple were beginning to set in to a comfortable and wonderful routine.

About an hour after Alex left, the phone rang and Jo answered, "Karev's". She had decided to go the now uncommon route by taking his name when they married. After all, 'Wilson' was just some random name the foster agency had assigned to her at 2 weeks old when her mother had abandoned her. She welcomed the opportunity to have a name that had history and meaning, a name she shared with her husband. The voice on the other end of the line happened to be Alex's sister, Amber. "Hello, I'm looking for Alex Karev," Amber said. Jo offered, "He's not home right now, but I could take a message." Amber hesitated and then explained, "This is his sister, Amber, we…umm, haven't spoken in years, but I need to get a hold of him." Jo sat up in the bed in surprise, she knew about Alex's siblings but had never met them, "Hi Amber, I'm Jo, Alex's wife. Maybe I can help you? Is your mom ok? Is there an emergency?"

Amber was silent for a moment and then said, "His wife?" Jo confirmed and then Amber continued, "I didn't know Alex had gotten married again. Congratulations, I guess, and…umm… nice to meet you." Jo lightened her tone and added, "Well, I wish we were meeting in person, but it's nice to connect with you. Would you like me to ask Alex to give you a call?" Amber replied, "Yes, please. It's fairly urgent. If he could call me today, that would be ideal." Jo wrote down Amber's contact information, gave her Alex's cell and pager numbers, and assured her that she would pass the message along.

After Jo hung up and went to the kitchen to wrangle up some breakfast, she sat down on the couch with a cup of coffee and a book. She couldn't remember the last time she'd even begun to read a non-medical book, and she was hoping to get through most of this one in a day. As she finished Chapter 5, her cell rang. It was Alex, "Hey, we just had Twin one month olds come in. They both have breathing difficulties and my resident is sitting for an exam today. We're short-handed and need to get these babies into surgery. I hate to ask, but…" Jo interrupted him, "I'm on my way."

When Jo arrived about half an hour later, Alex was standing at the nurses' station in the hallway near the NICU. He and Arizona were discussing one of the twins as Jo walked up and greeted them. Arizona concluded her thoughts on Twin One and then turned to Jo, "I thought you were off today." Alex admitted, "I called her and asked her if she could come in and help. I know, rotten husband." Arizona laughed softly and then explained Twin Two's situation to Jo, "It should be a fairly easy procedure, but it is definitely emergent." Jo nodded and assured Arizona that she would handle it.

Alex offered to walk with Jo toward the OR. He put his arm around Jo as they were walking and told her quietly, "The mom is really freaking out, and I am a little suspicious about the dad. He doesn't seem to have any emotional reaction to the situation, and he was alone with the babies when their breathing troubles began." They caught each other's eyes and Jo understood what Alex was intimating. Then she asked, "Did your sister get a hold of you?"

Alex stopped walking and looked right at Jo, "Amber?" Jo nodded, "Yeah, she called the house today and is eager to be in touch with you. I gave her your cell and pager numbers." Alex looked perplexed, "Man, I haven't spoken to her in at least 10 years. What the hell could she want?" Jo shrugged her shoulders as the two walked into the NICU and as she handed him Amber's contact information, "I'm not sure, she just said she'd really like to speak with you today."

Alex and Jo approached the parents, and Alex began to brief them on the surgeries. He reviewed what he had already told them and introduced them to Jo, "This is Dr. Jo Karev, she will be performing the surgery on Julia." The mom of the babies looked at Jo and asked, "Karev? What an interesting last name to have in common. Are you cousins? Siblings?" Jo smiled and explained, "Husband and wife." Alex looked up from Twin One's chart with a grin and raised his eyebrows toward Jo knowingly. Jo concluded her pre-op conversation with the parents and excused herself to go scrub.

As Alex headed back to the nurses' station before beginning to prep Twin One for surgery, Meredith walked by and greeted him. He didn't look up, and she wasn't sure if he heard her. "Hey!" Meredith said, "Alex. I said hi." Alex looked up and blinked his eyes, trying to engage, "Hey, Mer. I didn't hear you." Meredith leaned her chin to one side and observed, "You seem a little distracted." Alex stopped charting and looked at Meredith, saying, "Yeah, Jo just told me that my sister called this morning. I haven't spoken to her in at least 10 years. Just a little confused." Meredith responded, "Hmmmm…that's weird. You think it's about your mom?" Alex replied, "I don't know. I'm supposed to be her care facility's first call, so it seems weird that Amber would be calling." Alex shrugged and said, "I guess I'll call her and find out what's up."

As Alex reached the OR, he pulled his phone out from his pocket. It had been silenced all morning, and, sure enough, he saw a missed call with an Iowa area code. He entered the scrub room, and handed his phone to a nurse, "Hey, Connie, would you please call that top number with the 563 area code? I'm fairly certain it is going to be a woman named Amber. Would you explain to her that I am entering surgery and will try to call her after 12 our time?" Connie nodded and began to call the number and explain the situation. She reassured Amber that Alex would be sure to call her after the surgery. Amber, eager to speak to Alex, asked if there was any way she could speak to him very briefly.

Connie covered the mouthpiece and asked Alex if he wanted her to put the phone up to his ear, because his sister wanted to speak to him briefly. Alex mumbled, "She doesn't do anything briefly." Then motioned his head so Connie could put the phone up to it. "Hey Amber. It's been a long time. Look, I've got a baby in a lot of distress who I really don't want to have die because I'm chatting on my cell phone." Amber responded, "I'm really sorry Alex, and I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important. I just really, really need to make sure you are going to call me when you're done. It is really important." Alex, being the sarcastic big brother that he was, asked, "Really? Really, Amber? I hadn't gotten that message." As any Karev would do, Amber responded, "Yeah, asshole. Really. If I don't hear from you by 2 your time, I'm going to start stalking your cell phone." Alex laughed and said, "Yeah, okay. Really. I will call. I mean it." Then he motioned to Connie to take the phone and said, "Hey, could you please remind me to deal with that call as soon as I'm done with surgery? I'm pretty sure it will be the furthest thing from my mind after this baby. Bonnie nodded affirmatively.

About 45 minutes later, Jo scrubbed in for Alex's surgery and entered the OR. Alex looked up as he was working, and asked, "How is Twin Two? Jo responded, "Should be just fine. Although I did see some marks on the back of the neck on each side. I contacted Child Services." Alex responded with disgust, "I found some marks on this one too, although they are all over the body. I'm pretty sure Dad was not too fond of being a dad. How the hell could someone do this to their child?"

After Jo and Alex finished the surgery, they walked toward the NICU to give the parents an update. The social worker was already chatting with them when the surgeons approached the mom. The father was nowhere to be seen. The mom looks tearfully at the surgeons and asked how her babies were. Alex said that it would be take time to know for sure and commented that there had been some severed blood vessels and other bruising. The social worker looked at Alex and slowly shook her head, as if to say no more details. Jo picked up on the hint and finished Alex's sentence for him by touching his arm with her hand and saying, "We will give you a more complete update later. Right now, we need to go to recovery and check on the babies."

Connie the nurse met up with Alex in the hallway and had his phone in her hand. She said, "Dr. Karev, you left your phone in the OR, and you asked me to remind you to call your sister." Alex nodded and said thank you to the nurse as he grabbed hold of Jo's hand with his right hand and hit the Iowa phone number with his left hand to call his sister back. Amber answered on the first ring, "Alex?" Alex responded, "Yeah, Amber. Hey, what's going on? Is it mom?" Amber responded with a big sigh and shared, "Mom is as fine as she ever it is, Alex. She seems to be doing well in the facility where she's been living. I'm calling to tell you about Sophie."

Alex looked confused and lowered his brow, and inquired flatly, "Sophie?" Amber responded, "Yeah, you know, your girlfriend from college?" Alex was even more confused and added, "Okay, I suppose. I am really not sure why you would need to give me an update on her, and why you would find it so urgent to do so." Amber responded, "Are you sitting down? It will all make sense in a minute."


	2. Ch 2 - Everything Changes with One Call

**Everything Changes with One Call**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 2**

As Amber and Alex's phone call continued, Amber sighed heavily and paused. She did not know where to begin even though she'd rehearsed the conversation in her head for hours, "Alex, Sophie had a baby about 9 months after you guys broke up and graduated from college. She has always known the baby was yours, but she did not list you on the birth certificate. She didn't want you to be troubled by having to take care of the two of them while you were going to medical school." Jo was about half a step ahead of Alex, and Alex pulled back on Jo's hand.

Looking ashen, Alex tilted his head toward an empty waiting area they had just passed. Amber wasn't kidding when she'd asked if he was sitting down. They came to a set of chairs and he sat down, taking about three or four deep breaths and sitting in stone silence. He briefly let go of Jo's hand and ran his hand on top of his head. He looked at Jo, slowly shook his head, and reached out for Jo's hand again. Jo sat next to him, not having any idea whatsoever what was going on. Even so, she could tell that Alex was very troubled by what his sister had to share.

Alex was stunned and slowly said, "Wow… ummmm… I don't know what to say, Amber." Amber simply agreed, "I know." Alex asked, "Have you known about this all along?" Amber explained, "I knew Sophie had a baby – I mean, nothing goes unnoticed around here. Everyone knew she had a baby shortly after she graduated, but she'd never told anyone any details. Then yesterday, Sophie asked if I knew how to get a hold of you, and I told her I was pretty sure I could figure out how to be in touch." Alex shook his head and asked, "So… so… why does she want to get a hold of me now? This is so out of left field." Silence lingered on the line for a few moments before Amber offered, "Well, Alex, the news just keeps piling on. Sophie is in the end stages of breast cancer. She's dying, and she wants you to know the truth."

Alex breathed in and out heavily and looked at Jo. Jo, still oblivious to the content of the conversation, smiled gently and just held his hand. Alex responded to Amber while looking at Jo, "Holy crap. How sad. She's dying, huh? That sucks." Amber continued, "Sophie's parents died many years ago, and she doesn't have any siblings. She's hoping you'll take care of your daughter, Charlotte." Alex sputtered in response as he sat in a daze, "Umm..well, sure. I could … umm … send some money or help out or something."

Amber sighed, "Oh, Alex, don't be so clueless." Alex looked up at the ceiling and asked, "What do you mean?" Amber paused and let the silence linger once again. Finally, she said slowly, "Alex, Sophie wants to assign you custody of your daughter. She's hoping you'll agree and assume it. She has paperwork from a lawyer already drawn up that amends the birth certificate and states that you are Charlotte's father. The last thing any of us want is for Charlotte to become a ward of the state, but I guess what happens is really up to you." Alex sat looking at the wall and clenching Jo's hand without saying a word. Amber spoke, inquiring, "Alex?" Alex responded, "Yeah, I'm here, Amb. This is a lot to take in."

A voice came over the hospital PA system announcing, "Dr. Karev, call 516. Dr. Karev, 516." The hospital switchboard still hadn't gotten used to using Jo and Alex's first names along with their last name when announcing pages. Not knowing which Dr. Karev was being summoned, the couple was constantly answering one another's pages. Extension 516 was the NICU. Jo nodded and said softly, "I'll respond. Are you ok if I go?" Alex nodded his head and kissed Jo's hand as he spoke to his sister, "Amber, I… I just got married. Now you're telling me all this. I guess I'll fly out as soon as I can. Assure Sophie that we'll get this all sorted out. Does the kid know all this?" Amber explained, "The kid? _Charlotte _knows that her mom chose not to tell her dad about her all these years. She's heard he's a successful and smart doctor who doesn't know about her. She doesn't know her father's name or where he lives. She doesn't know it's you." Alex leaned back in his chair, slouched down and rested his head on the back of the chair. "I'll call you later, Amber. I gotta let this all soak in."

Alex sat without movement staring at the ceiling for at least half an hour. He wished there was an instantaneous way to take in all the information he'd just learned. Simply receiving a random phone call from Amber had been obscure enough. Now, he'd learned about Sophie's imminent death and that he had a daughter. He thought to himself, _How in the hell am I going to explain all this to Jo? Oh, hey, Josie, guess what? You're a step-mom and the kid is coming to live with us! _

As Alex sat in shock with his eyes closed, Meredith walked by and spotted him in the waiting area. Jokingly, she approached him and asked, "Excuse me, Sir, are you waiting for an update on a patient?" Alex lifted his head and Meredith could see the combination of numbness and shock on Alex's face. She asked compassionately as she sat next to him, "Oh my God, Alex, what's wrong?" Alex breathed in audibly and blinked his eyes, "Sheesh, Mer, I just talked to my sister, and my life was just turned upside down." Mer leaned in closer, asking, "Why? What happened? Is your mom ok?" Then Meredith stood up and walked over to the water cooler, returning with a full cup and handing it to Alex. "Thanks," Alex said, "Well, I'll just say it." Meredith nodded, "Ok." "So I just learned that my college girlfriend was pregnant when we broke up around the time we graduated. She had the kid and never told anyone I was the father. Now she's dying and is hoping I'll raise the kid." The two sat silently, then Alex added, "It's a girl, Mer. I've got a daughter. I don't know how old she is… ummm," he paused to do the math in his head, "probably around 15 and her name is Charlotte. At least Sophie chose a good name."

Meredith locked her gaze on Alex to assess how he was coping. "Alex," she offered, "this is huge news. What are you going to do?" Alex shrugged blankly, "Well, if I'm the kid's dad, then I have a responsibility. I guess I'm heading to Iowa to become a dad."


	3. Chapter 3 - To Tell the Truth

**To Tell the Truth**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 3**

Meredith walked with Alex to go find Jo. She assured him, internally hoping she was right, that Jo would be supportive and understanding. Jo was standing at the NICU nurses' station as they approached. She smiled broadly and approached Alex, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Wow, that was some phone call. From what I could hear, you received pretty shocking news." Alex nodded and looked at Meredith, who said, "Pardon me, I need to go check on a patient."

Alex placed his hand on Jo's upper arm and said, "We need to talk. Let's get out of here." Jo nodded, "Ok, but I'm on call. Cafeteria? It should be pretty empty right now." Alex nodded and said nothing as they walked to the elevator and descended three floors. Jo stopped to grab an apple and some water while Alex found a table outside in a corner. Jo looked at the spot in front of Alex as she approached the table, "Are you sure you don't want anything?" Alex nodded, "Yeah," then grabbed her water and took a drink. She laughed lightly, "Ok. So what's up?"

Alex looked deeply into Jo's eyes and locked his gaze. She sat back saying, "Alex, you're making me a little concerned here." Alex responded, "Well, this is big news. Crazy news." Jo nodded and grasped his hand, assuring him, "Alex, whatever it is, we can deal with it." Alex turned his head a bit to the side and asked, "Really? Are you sure you want to say that?" Jo smiled broadly and said, "Absolutely. For better or worse, right?" Alex grinned and looked more relaxed than he had in hours.

"There's no easy way to explain all this, so I'm just going to spout it all out and then you can ask me questions and we can talk about it, ok?" Jo smiled softly and offered, "I'm all ears." Alex explained his college relationship with Sophie, the pregnancy and child he'd just learned about, and Sophie's health status. "Wow," Jo said as she looked gently at Alex. Alex paused then added, "There's one more thing: Sophie wants me…us…to assume custody of Charlotte. There's really no other family and, well, I'm her dad." "So we need to go be with our daughter. Her heart has got to be breaking into a million pieces as she watches her mom decline."

Alex looked at Jo and tears pooled in his eyes, "We? Our? You're willing to be a part of all this mess?" Jo furrowed her brow and said, "Ummm...yeah. Why wouldn't I? Now let's figure out when we're leaving and get plane tickets purchased. I'll take care of the details, unless you'd rather do it." Alex shook his head, "It'd be great if you took care of it." Jo nodded, "Ok. I'm just assuming you want me to go. I guess I should've asked." Alex grasped her hand more tightly and proclaimed, "I can't imagine going through this without you. I need you with me. Besides, it'll give you a chance to meet my crazy family." Jo placed a hand on Alex's cheek and kissed his forehead. "Why don't you call it a day? I'll finish your shift." Alex nodded silently, amazed at his wonderful wife and her response.

After Alex went home, Jo scrambled to find Owen so she could explain the situation. Owen was accommodating and tried not to respond with shock that Karev had a teenage daughter. After rounding on her patients, Jo stopped at an open computer and purchased airline tickets for the first flight to Iowa she could find. By the next morning, they were on their way to meet their daughter..


	4. Chapter 4 - No, Really, It's OK

**No, Really, It's OK**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 4**

Mid-afternoon, they arrived at the Cedar Rapids airport in the height of winter. Jo had never seen such piles of snow lining the roads and landscape, and she tried her best not to comment on the 10 degree temperatures that caused her eyes and the inside of her nose to freeze. The walked toward the rental car area, and Alex shared, "Dude, this is crazy. Brings back memories, you know?" Jo simply grinned and held his hand in hers while she hoped the cold temperatures didn't turn her into an icicle. Alex kept taking long, deep breaths – he was obviously tense, and maybe even scared, about what would unfold in the days ahead.

Alex had spoken to both Amber and Sophie and determined that Sophie was stable enough that he could visit his mom prior to connecting with Sophie and Charlotte. Even though Jo had a solid medical education and was fully aware of Helen's schizophrenia, Alex was uneasy about introducing the two women. Helen could be so unpredictable, and Alex had no idea what story, real or imagined, she would share. Her behavior, even after years of intervention, was erratic and unpredictable.

Since her hospitalization during Alex's intern year, Helen had lived in home similar to a halfway house. Prior to that hospitalization, Helen had always returned home, gone off her meds because she felt better after a period of time, and then ended up relapsing. The home where she was placed helped prevent relapses by ensuring she took her medications. It was set on a nice piece of property with a pond and short walking trails. Helen was able to live a quiet, less stressful, and more predictable life that she enjoyed. The owners of the facility were gentle, patient, savvy people who were skilled at discerning when medications needed to be assessed and when subtle symptoms arose.

Alex didn't speak during the entire drive to the home. He was somewhat lost in his thoughts about Helen, Iowa, and his past. Jo gave him the silent space he needed and flipped through a magazine as they travelled. As they arrived at the home and parked the car, Alex told Jo, "I really hope she's having a good day." Jo smiled softly and pointed out that Helen and one of the caretakers were standing on the front porch. Alex suggested, "I'll bet she's been trying to wait outside all day and the poor nurse has had to keep bringing her inside to stay warm." Jo grinned, "Well, it's been awhile. I'm sure she's eager to see you." Alex shrugged in response.

Alex got out of the car and walked around to open Jo's door for her. Helen was beaming and shared aloud joyously, "That's him, Priscilla! That's my Alex." She clasped her hands together and alternated her weight between her legs. In her anticipation, she couldn't stand still. Alex could hear her clearly and grinned as he approached his mom and hugged her, "Hey, Mom. Good to see you."

Helen kissed Alex all over his face then put her hands on his cheeks, pulled back, smiled and kissed him all over his face again. Jo mustered her self-control to avoid taunting Alex about all the fuss. "And who is this?" Helen asked Alex as she looked at Jo with a smile. "Remember, Mom, I told you I got married. This is my wife, Jo." Helen clasped her hands in front of her and then spread them far apart, "Can we hug, Jo?" Jo stepped closer, smiled, and hugged Helen, saying, "Of course we can."

The caretaker encouraged them all to move inside where it was warmer. "My heart can't freeze when I'm full of all this joy," Helen exclaimed. Her caretaker gently redirected Helen inside and said, "I know. Oh, Helen, you are so happy." Helen leaned toward her caretaker and asked, "She's ok, that woman, right?" The caretaker assured Helen that Jo was no threat, stepping aside and quietly explaining to Alex, "She's been concerned about mind readers lately. We're working with Dr. Roan to adjust her Zyprexa and Invega doses." Alex nodded.

"Can I show you my paintings?" Helen asked Jo. Jo looked at Alex, who nodded and commented, "They're pretty cool." Jo followed Helen with Alex trailing behind. They entered a beautiful sunroom, full of easels, canvases, brushes, and paint. The windows looked out over the pond. The abstract artwork hung throughout the room and was bursting with color. Helen grasped Jo's hand with her right hand and grasped Alex's hand with her left as she took them from painting to painting and explained each one is great detail. Then Helen turned to Jo and said, "They tell me you just have to take one home. Which one?" Alex pursed his lips, realizing his mother was hearing voices. "Mom," Alex said with fake confusion, "I'm not hearing the voices." Helen looked at Alex insistently, "They are the good ones, Alex. No need to worry." Alex shook his head calmly and paused, "Nope…not hearing them, Mom." Helen smiled and said to Jo, "Oh the poor boy, he never did have good hearing." Alex just rolled his eyes and went along with his mom. Jo responded and smiled, "He doesn't always listen to what I have to say either."

The sofa caught Helen's eye and distracted her from the paintings. She led Alex and Jo to an overstuffed couch in the sunroom and asked them if they would like tea or coffee. Neither were prepared or readily available, except in her imagination. Alex answered before Jo had a chance, "Thanks, Mom. We're good. Maybe another time." Helen nodded and asked, "So do you have pictures of your wedding?" Jo frowned, "We do, but not with us." Helen sighed with disappointment, "Oh." Jo remembered there were a few pictures on her phone so she pulled it out and said, "Oh, wait, I have a few here." Jo leaned in and showed them to Helen, who relished in pointing out every detail and nuance in each shot. "Can I have copies of these, dear?" Helen asked. Jo nodded and said, "Absolutely. I will get them to you soon."

Alex looked on and was relieved to watch Helen and Jo interact and connect. Helen seldom liked meeting new people, but she connected to Jo right away. Luckily, Helen was having a fairly good day today. Their timing, by chance, was perfect. After admiring the pictures, Helen grasped Jo's hand and fussed over her large diamond engagement ring, saying with amusement "Well, Alex, did you rob a bank to buy this treasure?" "I did well, didn't I, Mom?" Alex replied with a grin.

"Now, Alex," Helen said to her son, "How is doctoring?" Alex shrugged and said, "It's good, Mom. Remember, I operate on children. I'm a surgeon. Actually, so is Jo." Helen's eyes widened in amazement, "Really? What a talented girl you've married, Alex." Alex nodded, "She's pretty amazing, Mom. She's wonderful." Jo sat there awkwardly as the two spoke as if she was not present. Helen asked Alex to tell her more about his job, and he shared some funny stories that he knew she'd enjoy. He kept trying to turn the topic around so he could hear about her and ask her questions, but Helen insisted on catching up on his news and life.

After two hours, Alex leaned his head toward the door as he caught Jo's glance. "Mom, we need to go, ok?" He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, and Jo bent down and gave Helen a hug, saying, "It was wonderful meeting you, Helen." Helen beamed, "Likewise. Now don't forget about those pictures." Jo smiled and assured her, "I'll send them to you soon."

As they walked out to the car, Alex said, "Thank God you met her on a good day. That's the best I've seen her in years. I guess they have finally made some progress on figuring out effective meds." Jo looked at Alex and said, "She is darling, and she seems happy here. The paintings were fantastic, Alex, and the look of love in her eyes when she looks at you is precious." Alex grinned, "Well, I've always been her favorite."


	5. Chapter 5 - I Think I Might Know You

**I Think I Might Know You**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 5**

After the short drive from Helen's home to the hospital, the couple arrived at University of Iowa Hospital where Alex had gone to med school. Alex stopped at the information desk and greeted the volunteer at the desk, "Hi. I'm looking for a room number for Sophia Karsden, K-a-r…" The sweet older lady smiled, having already found the name, "Yes, she is in room 532. Do you know how to get there? I can show you." Alex grinned and thought to himself, _good ole Iowa hospitality, _then responded, "No, thank you though. I went to med school here years ago." The volunteer clapped her hands together and responded, "Oh my! You don't say? How wonderful. Welcome back, Dr…?" Alex offered his last name as he grinned, "Karev." The volunteer beamed and acted as if she were speaking to a movie star, "Welcome back, Dr. Karev. How lovely of you to return to your roots!" Alex nodded and smiled, saying, "Thank you. It's nice to be back," Alex know that if he didn't extricate them from the conversation quickly, they'd be chatting all day. He nodded to the volunteer and said, "Excuse us."

As they walked to the elevators, Jo exclaimed, "Oh, she was _so _darling and nice!" Alex rolled his eyes and said in his every day Seattle tone, "Yeah, everyone is like that here." Their walk included passing by a café in the atrium of the hospital. A darling young woman sat by the fountain with homework on the table in front of her as she talked on her cell phone. She had light brown, wavy hair about 3" past her shoulders and had on a shirt that read, "I wear pink for my mom…" Jo couldn't make out the name printed to the right of 'mom,' but the girl most definitely had Alex's eyes, lips and chin. She was obviously athletic, and she was thin and well endowed. Jo suggested she and Alex sit for a minute before going up to the room.

While Alex looked through some travel details absent-mindedly, Jo observed the girl as subtly as she could, hearing her say, "So then my mom turned into a Mama Bear and told him she'd home school me until it was sorted out, so, yeah, it's nice to sleep in, but she demands a lot. Her expectations for homework and studying are crazy. At this rate, I'll be through three years of math by Friday. Somehow, she worked it so I still get to be on the team, so I'm pretty sure I'll be at practice today." The girl listened as the caller responded, and Jo wrote a note to Alex, _I think that might be your daughter behind you. _Intrigued, Alex tried to subtly stretch and catch a quick glance. Upon seeing her, he looked back at Jo with a lowered brow, saying quietly, "Nah…she's gotta be at least 20 if not 22 or 23. And nobody in my family has a rack like that." Jo closed her eyes hoping he was right after sharing that comment about her chest.

Alex returned to reviewing some papers, and Jo overheard the girl say, "Yeah, I'm down at the fountain now. I guess he's on his way, so Mom kicked me out of her room. Oh! Wait! Just a sec. You'll never guess – Mike just texted me back," the girl said with a squeal. Jo smiled as she accidentally caught the girl's eye. In the transition from call to text, the girl dropped the phone and it tumbled over near Jo, just as she and Alex decided to stand up and go to the elevators.

Alex was completely oblivious and kept walking as Jo stopped to pick up the phone. Jo smiled as she handed the phone to the girl and saw that the name on the girl's shirt was 'Sophie.' Charlotte approached Jo, apologizing profusely, "I'm so sorry, Ma'am. Did it hit you? You could've tripped. I apologize." Jo smiled broadly and responded, "Not a problem, but you'd better text that guy back." Charlotte blushed and smiled. Her expression resembled Alex 100%.

Alex called out from the elevators, "Jo – elevator's here." He looked a little impatient and stressed. Jo looked at Charlotte and said, "That's me. Take care." Charlotte smiled back as Jo walked away. As she returned to the table to sit down, Charlotte looked toward the elevators and caught a glimpse of Alex. She saw a male version of many of her facial features, and deep in her heart, she knew who he was. She thought to herself, _That's my dad._ She sat down, stunned, and became lost in her thoughts at she gazed at the fountain.

In the elevator, Alex inquired, "How'd I lose you back there?" Jo explained, "Oh, that girl dropped her phone and it tumbled over by me. Alex…I'm pretty sure that was Charlotte. Alex didn't respond until the elevator doors opened. "Wow…we'll see."

Jo offered to sit in the nearby waiting room as they approached Room 532. "This first step should be between you and Sophie. I'll be right here." Alex looked in her eyes, blinked back a tear, and squeezed her hand before letting go.

As Alex walked into Sophie's room, he could still see the Sophie he remembered shining through the obviously cancer-ridden, suffering body. He said nothing as walked to the bed and bent down to give her a hug. Sophie whispered weakly, "Alex. I'm so glad you're here." Alex scanned the various machines, print outs, and IV levels, then said, "Looks like you're stable, huh?" Sophie softly laughed, "Hell if I know. I teach kindergarten for goodness' sake. I don't know anything about all this stuff." Alex, out of habit, began to gently explain it all to her as he pulled up a chair. Sophie interrupted, really not caring about medical terminology, "She has your eyes. She has your eyes and, yeah, your mouth and chin. Good thing she got my nose," Sophie concluded with a wink. Alex gently grasped Sophie's hand, "It's good to see you, Soph. I'm just sorry it's under these circumstances." Sophie closed her eyes, but continued to chat as the two caught up on the last 15 years of one another's lives.

After a few interchanges, Alex worked up the courage to ask, "Soph, why didn't you tell me? I would've stepped up. I would've stayed by your side and done the right thing." Sophie opened her eyes and smiled gently, "That's exactly why I didn't tell you, Alex. I already had my teaching job in Des Moines, and you were going into med school with such big dreams. I thought it was better to break your heart and raise Charlotte alone than to derail your dreams." Alex guffawed, "_You_ broke _my_ heart, huh?" Sophie smiled, "You haven't changed, have you?" Alex laughed, "Not much. I'm less of a hothead and less of a punk. Still charming and hot."

Sophie looked directly at Alex and offered, "I'm so sorry, so sorry I never told you about our amazing daughter." Silence hung in the air before Alex responded, "I think what you did by letting go and keeping me on track for med school is the most self-sacrificing action anyone has ever taken on my behalf." Sophie's eyes were closed once again as she grinned and said softly, "Well, I was just a stupid 22 year old so in love with a guy that I truly wanted the best for him at any cost. I thought what I was doing was the best option and you know what? We've done ok, Charlotte and me. I'm still sorry, but I want to assure you that we've been ok."

Sophie asked, "And how about you, have you been ok?" Alex answered, "Well, I'm an attending pediatric surgeon in a large hospital in Seattle. I just bought my first house a year or so ago and just got married to my wife, Jo." He held up his left hand as he spoke. Sophie smiled, "I'm glad. Truly." She faded off to sleep, and Alex stepped out to touch base with Jo. When he reached the area and sat next to his wife, Jo asked, "What's the best way I can be helpful right now?" Alex hugged her and whispered in her ear, "I have no f-ing clue. Just be here." He leaned back and the couple grinned at one another.

Awhile later, Alex entered Sophie's room to check on her. Her phone rang, and she was sleepily looking at it. "It's Charlotte," she explained, "She wants to know if you're here yet and when she can come meet you. I told her to scram for an hour so we could catch up first." Alex grinned in response, "I think I might have seen her in the atrium when we first arrived. Long light brown hair, texting and talking on her cell, ignoring her homework…" he described. Sophie nodded gently, "Sounds like our girl. Now how do you want to do this?" Alex shrugged, "You know her – what would work best?" Sophie asked, "Have you decided if you'll assume custody? I know it's a huge decision and surprise." Alex responded resolutely, "I'll be glad to assume custody if you're sure that's what you want. I mean, she'll have to move to Seattle. That will be a lot for a kid who's grieving." Sophie assured him, "Alex, she's as determined as you – she'll be fine. Let her grieve, take one step at a time, and all will be well. The papers – I've signed all of them. They're in the drawer over there. Take them, ok? And know I'll understand if you change your mind." Alex looked at her sunken eyes and stroked her bald head, "I won't change my mind. I got this."

Meanwhile, Charlotte had decided to wait in the 5th floor waiting room rather than downstairs. She stepped out of the elevator and saw Jo looking out the window. She sat down across the area by the hallway and texted her mom. Jo turned to sit down and smiled at Charlotte. When Charlotte caught sight of Jo out of the corner of her eye, she said warmly, "You're the nice lady I almost attacked with my cell phone. Hi again." Jo laughed, "Really – it was no big deal. I'm Jo." Charlotte extended her hand and said, "I'm Charlotte. Charlotte Karsden. My mom's dying down the hall. How about you?" Jo paused, unsure how to explain her presence, "It's a long story. A great story but a long one." Charlotte grimaced, again looking 100% like Alex, and responded, "Yeah, my story's kind of complicated and long too. I think it will all turn out ok, but there are a lot of unknowns." Jo nodded, then Charlotte continued, "My mom is terminal and nearing the end. She's fought cancer for a long time now, since I was 9. Her doctor says that she'll likely go before next week. She's really weak. She's fought this f-ing cancer for six years. Six years. And now, it's gonna win." Jo continued to look at Charlotte as tears welled up in both their eyes, "Well, f- cancer." Charlotte smiled broadly and said, "Yeah…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. If my mom had heard me, she would've gathered up all her strength and I'd be huge trouble." Jo continued to smile and said, "It's ok. Cancer _is_ dumb. It's ok to be angry."

Charlotte's phone buzzed and she looked down at it. "It's my mom – she's asking me to go see her." Charlotte shrugged her shoulders playfully and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Crud, she probably _did _hear me." Both she and Jo snickered.


	6. Chapter 6 - Meet the Parents

**Meet the Parents**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 6**

Charlotte headed into Sophie's room. Alex was half-sitting, half-standing as he leaned on the heater that was attached along the wall. Sophie, of course, was lying down in bed. Sophie beamed as Charlotte came in and feebly exclaimed, "Hey, Spider." Charlotte went to the nearest side of the bed, smiled at Alex awkwardly and hugged her mom. Boldly, Charlotte asked her mom, "So this handsome guy with my eyes and chin, this guy who looks like me, he's my dad?" Sophie laughed and said, "Yep. Alex, this is your daughter, Charlotte Sophia Karsden. And babygirl, this is your dad, Dr. Alex Karev." Alex was unsure whether to extend his hand, hug Charlotte in a bear hug, or wait for her to come his way. In the split second that he paused, Charlotte approached him and gave him a giant hug, "I've always wanted to meet you." Charlotte held on tightly and held her hug. Alex returned the hug and experienced all sorts of unexplainable emotions. In that moment, he felt like he had become a father.

Alex gently placed his hands on Charlotte's shoulders, and said, "Let me look at you." He took in her face and beamed. Then he insisted, "Let's see…those would be _my _eyes, _my _lips, and _my _chin. Your mom's cheekbones and hair, and, yep, definitely my height." Charlotte positioned herself next to Alex and kind of nudged him with her elbow, "Well, you're older so I guess you had those features before me." She looked at him with the most precocious and endearing grin he'd ever seen. "Ahhh," Alex added, "I'm sorry. I left something out, Soph. She also inherited by smartass gene." Alex nudged her back. Sophie responded with a soft smile, "She most certainly did."

Sophie had the duo move away from the window so she could take a picture of them, then Charlotte insisted, "and a selfie trio!" She and Alex leaned in next to Sophie and Charlotte snapped the shot. "Ok, Spider," Sophie sighed, "I'm exhausted. How about if you and Alex go grab something to eat? He went to med school here so maybe he could give you a tour and then you can show him all the hiding spots you've discovered." Sophie closed her eyes and then took Alex's hand, "Your wife is here, isn't she? They should meet too."

Charlotte straightened Sophie's blankets, put chapstick on her mother's lips, and closed the window shades as she explained, "I'm turning the sound off on your phone, Mom." Sophie responded by keeping her eyes closed as she nodded her head. Alex put a hand on Charlotte's shoulder, observing, "You're a wonderful caretaker, Charlotte." Charlotte smiled and said, "Well, I want to be a nurse. Mom's been great practice." Alex nodded, "A nurse? Cool." Internally, he wondered, _why not a doctor? _He filed this information away knowing there would be plenty of time to revisit it and share his insights.

He motioned his arm toward the door and suggested, "Well, you want to meet my wife?" Charlotte joked, "Sure. I've always wondered what it would be like to have an evil step-mother." Alex grinned, "Well, you're out of luck there. If anyone is difficult or evil in the relationship, it'd be me not Jo." Charlotte exclaimed with joy, "Jo?! Like this tall," she motioned with her hand in the air, "and with long hair and an awesome smile? I met her in the waiting room."

The two approached the waiting room, and Alex put his finger up to his mouth when he saw Jo looking out the window. Charlotte nodded. Alex quietly snuck up to Jo, who had seen his reflection in the window. Jo turned and said, "Boo!" Alex jumped back in surprise and said, "Very funny." He tried to act like a cat expressing an _I meant to do that _air. Jo laughed and explained that reflections are handy. Alex shifted gears, "I hear you've already met each other." Jo grinned at Charlotte, "Yeah, Charlotte's a cool kid." Charlotte smiled back, "Thanks."

Alex motioned to the chairs and everyone sat down, "So, what should we do? Are you hungry? Should we go for a walk? Whatta you want to do?" Charlotte offered, "Could we grab something to eat? Anything but hospital food?" The trio went to a nearby restaurant and talked for about two hours. Both Alex and Jo were already in love with Charlotte. The relationship came much easier than anyone anticipated. After Alex settled the tab, Charlotte suggested they could head over to Sophie's house and get settled.

At Sophie's insistence, Jo and Alex were staying at her house. "It'd be nice to just hang out at home," Charlotte mused. "Have you been staying there or at the hospital?" Alex asked. "My mom's friend, Amber, has been staying at the house. I kind of go back and forth, but Amber deals with anything Mom can't handle. You'll like her, she's funny and a smart alec." Alex nodded and clarified, "Amber is my little sister." Charlotte stopped walking and was taken aback, "Seriously?" Alex chuckled, "Yep. We haven't seen each other since I was a teenager but she's my little sis."

When they arrived at the house, Amber was in the kitchen baking some kind of dessert that smelled amazing. Charlotte called out, "Hey, Amber, come see what the cat drug in." Amber came running into the living room, ran directly to Alex to hug him and became teary when she saw him. Alex awkwardly returned the hug. Deep inside, he was glad to see Amber. Then she hit his shoulder and said, "It's been way too long!" Alex put Amber in a headlock and messed up her hair, "Yeah, I've missed this." Alex let Amber go and then introduced her to Jo.

Amber looked at Charlotte, "Ok, let's get all the regular stuff out of the way, Char. Homework?" "Done." Amber demanded, "Lemme see it." Charlotte dug into her backpack then handed a notebook to Amber. Amber continued, "Phone?" Charlotte handed over her phone as Amber checked through the call log and texts, "You've been busy, kiddo. I'll take a real look and give you the phone back later." Charlotte, embarrassed, sighed, "Ok." Amber continued instituting Charlotte's familiar structure as Alex and Jo sat on the couch in awe and shock. Jo leaned near Alex's ear and asked, "Are we going to have to be this strict? I don't think we can do that." Alex shrugged and responded, "Hell if I know."

Amber told Charlotte, "Mike called – said he really hoped you could call him today since you missed practice." Charlotte smiled and asked, "Can I call him now?" Amber said, "Yep, after the dishes are done, your room is clean, a load of laundry is started, and you've shown your dad and Jo to their room and made sure they have everything they need." Amber looked at Alex and Jo with resignation, "Excuse me, I'll be back in a bit."

Once Charlotte was upstairs, Alex said to Amber, "Holy crap, Amb, that was more structure than you and I had our whole childhood." Amber nodded, "Sophie runs a ridiculously tight ship. It's pretty intense and strict. I'm sure she'll fill you in or give you a list or something. She always has instructions and notebooks and lists. She has very high expectations for Charlotte and doesn't even give her an inch, really." Alex was simultaneously impressed and befuddled, "Wow."

Charlotte came back downstairs, then showed the couple to their room. As they were ascending the stairs, Alex asked Charlotte, "So who's Mike?" Charlotte blushed and answered, "My boyfriend. Wanna meet him?" Alex opened and closed his eyes slowly and said, "Yeah, but not tonight. It's been a long enough day already." Alex wondered to himself how he was going to handle the boyfriend thing. Charlotte proceeded to the kitchen to call Mike and recount her day to him.


	7. Chapter 7 - Back to School

**Back to School**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 7**

The following day before breakfast, Jo excused herself from the day's activities saying she was going to check out the medical school and hospital. Charlotte was amazed, "They'll let you just do that?" Jo explained that she was a doctor and had called ahead to arrange it all. "So you're _both _doctors?" Charlotte asked. Jo clarified, "Yep, we are both pediatric surgeons. Actually, your dad has been at it longer than me and happens to be my boss."

Alex summarized his plans for the day. First, he was going for a run, then he wanted to see Sophie, and then he needed to sit down and figure out some details. Charlotte was thrilled to hear that Alex was a runner, "Can I run with you? I'm on track and cross country." Alex agreed and Charlotte, having no trouble keeping up with Alex, led the way along one of her favorite 5 mile routes. After they concluded the run and showered, Alex suggested they go out to breakfast. Charlotte agreed to accompany him but explained she didn't have much of an appetite in the morning. Alex, practicing his new fatherly role, encouraged her to at least eat something, so Charlotte nibbled on some fruit and toast.

When they arrived at the hospital, Sophie was obviously much weaker than the day before. She beamed nonetheless when she saw Alex and Charlotte arrive looking happy. "Good night together?" she asked weakly. "Yeah," Charlotte answered. Sophie corrected, "Excuse me?" Charlotte, without a hint of frustration, said, "Yes." Sophie nodded. "So, Mom," Charlotte added, "Can I go the dance with Mike on Friday? It's at school and after the football game." Sophie smiled gently and said, "We'll see. Probably yes." Charlotte smiled in response, knowing that was the most she could hope for at this point. At this point, nothing could be planned more than a few hours ahead of time.

Sophie explained to Charlotte, "I've got everything with the school worked out. You'll need to go to the rest of your classes today and talk to Mrs. Fomer during 7th period. She'll be your contact if any of the teachers give you static about missing classes or making up work." Charlotte nodded. Alex took Charlotte to school, then went to introduce himself to Mrs. Fomer, the Vice Principal. Even in his mid-40s, Alex's stomach turned as he waited outside the Vice Principal's office to speak with a school authority figure. The experience took him back to far too many of his school memories.

Mrs. Fomer ended up being very friendly. She and Alex had a productive chat, which she concluded by saying, "We really hate to see Charlotte leave our school, Dr. Karev. You're a lucky dad to have such a great daughter. Even though she is only a sophomore, her running has colleges showing great interest in her. Her stellar grades certainly help too. Alex was thrilled to hear about his daughter's accomplishments and shared that he had gone through school on a wrestling scholarship.

When Alex stepped out of the school office, Charlotte happened to be on break and walked by with some friends. "You guys, come here and meet my dad," she said with joy. She introduced Alex to her friends, and he said something snarky about school and studying that made them laugh. Charlotte leaned over to Alex's cheek and kissed him, saying, "I'll see you later, Dad." Alex hugged her in return as his head spun hearing Charlotte call him 'Dad.' He liked the sound of it. As the girls walked away, he heard one friend say, "He's so cool," and another say, "Yeah, and kind of cute too." The other girls in the group groaned and one exclaimed, "Ewwww…he's not cute, he's Charlotte's _Dad." _Alex, however, thought _I guess I still got it._


	8. Chapter 8 - Details, Details, Details

**Details, Details, Details**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 8**

When Alex returned to the hospital, Sophie wanted to discuss details. First, though, Alex insisted on reviewing her vitals and commenting on her weakened state. He checked in with the nurse to request some med adjustments and having never seen him before, the nurse asked him who he was. After he explained and talked the nurse in to calling Sophie's doctor for the orders, he returned to the room. He offered a business card with his cell phone number in case the doctor wanted to speak with him.

"Are you sure you're up for going through all these details, Soph?" he asked. Sophie nodded, "I don't have much time, Alex. Let's be honest." Alex frowned and nodded. Sophie explained that she was having trouble seeing clearly and focusing, so she asked Alex to read a list she had by her bed and confirmed, "Those are the topics I want to cover." The list read:

school – grades and subjects

timing of Charlotte's move to Seattle

my rules for Charlotte

timing of the adoption

the estate

medical history

legal paperwork

Sophie explained details for each line item and concluded, "As far as timing goes, the paperwork is drawn up to transfer custody upon my death. Really, the only question I can think of is when we'll move Spider to Seattle." Alex assured Sophie, "There's no way I'd do that while you're still here. I'm calling the Chief of Surgery tonight to arrange some time off so I can live here temporarily." Sophie smiled, "That'd be great. It won't be long." She closed her eyes and said, "I need to rest."

As Sophie slept, Alex read through the materials Sophie had so diligently prepared. He was thankful that he was basically receiving a manual, because he felt way over his head with his new role. Gratitude didn't begin to describe his feelings, as he was aware that most parents didn't get step by step instructions. As he read, Alex was astounded that Sofie's notebook and papers were more detailed and organized than the best medical chart in existence. Alex learned that Charlotte had always been a straight A student, _she must've inherited that from Sophie, _he thought to himself with an internal chuckle. Sophie insisted on straight A's, she noted, not because her standards were so high but because Charlotte was fully capable to attain the grades. Medically, she was a healthy kid who battled intermittent anemia and had her tonsils out when she was 12.

Alex was stunned at the title of the next section, "Discipline." _Holy crap, _he thought, _she's got a section on discipline?! _In the section, Sofie had clearly explained that structure was the key to her parenting style. Charlotte had a cell phone, which she turned in each night or upon request. Charlotte knew that her mom would check the texts on the phone and compare the total number of texts on the phone to the statistics on the carrier website to make sure Charlotte hadn't deleted any texts. Charlotte also knew Sophie would run through the content of the texts and review the numbers attached to incoming and outgoing calls. Although Charlotte didn't know it, Sophie noted that she only read the texts periodically and sporadically. The cell phone, Sofie wrote in the notebook, was the best disciplinary option she had.

Since Charlotte's 15th birthday, Sofie allowed Charlotte to hang out with friends after school as long as the previous day's homework had been completed and turned in. Sophie insisted on knowing her friends and expected Charlotte to limit her whereabouts to certain pre-approved places. Usually, though, Charlotte's after school hours were filled with cross country or track practice. That gave Sophie some assurance in the time between the end of school and when she used to arrive home around 5.

After practice or at 6:00pm, whichever came later, Charlotte was expected to be home, set the table, help prepare dinner, clean up any breakfast dishes, and start a load of laundry. Once dishes were done, she had the evening to complete her homework. Talking on her cell or texting was only allowed after homework was completed and if it was before 9:30pm. Lights were out no later than 10pm on school nights. Other than the cell phone and school-necessitated use of the computer, no screens came on in their home during the week. Alex read all this trying to soak it in, and thinking _There's no way I'll ever keep all this straight, and there's no way __I'll__ survive no screens on at the house during the week._

Sophie's disciplinary tools also included removing Charlotte's bedroom door if she slammed it or did something out of line. Cussing would result in either extra chores or loss of electronics along with a written apology to those who heard her behave poorly. Charlotte had only experienced this once, so Sophie felt confident she'd nipped it in the bud. The embarrassment of having to write the letter seemed to be effective.

Charlotte's clothes could be trendy, but not trashy. Missed homework, a true rarity, resulted in loss of the phone. Sass or a nasty attitude always resulted in loss of the phone – the number of days were tied to the seriousness of the event. Luckily, Sophie concluded with assurance, Charlotte had avoided drugs, anything beyond 1st base, and going places she was not allowed to go. What Alex needed to watch for sneakiness and related dishonesty, Charlotte's latest attempt to push boundaries. Charlotte had great charm and had lately been trying to use it to her advantage.

Alex read all these rules and consequences with overwhelmed amazement. It seemed great that discipline was outlined – the kid knew the consequences if she got out of line. However, the idea of Alex keeping track of the rules and following through with consequences was beyond his comfort zone. He decided not to discuss this with Sophie, given her current state. _Holy crap, _Alex thought to himself, _this is getting real. I'm thinking about structure and rules. Yuck. I didn't like them as a kid, and I don't like them now. Being a grown up kind of sucks. _As he paged through the section again, he wondered _when does the kid get to let go and have fun?_

The next section was more positive. Sophie noted that Mike, the boyfriend, was a good kid. He was Charlotte's first boyfriend and they'd been a couple for about three months. They were allowed to see each other at school, at sports practices, and on weekends; however, Sophie insisted that they never be alone together. They could be together and speak privately, but only within sight of a chaperone. Sophie had been abundantly clear that anything beyond first base would result in serious consequences. In the notebook, Sophie admitted she wasn't sure what those consequences would be, but, of course, Charlotte didn't know that.

The section also outlined Charlotte's talents and abilities, which included nearly fluent Spanish (she began learning the language when she was 5), playing the piano, running, volunteering at the hospital, and creativity. Her favorite subjects were math, English, and science. Even though she was only a sophomore, she was currently taking two AP classes: Biology and Pre-Calc.

Charlotte's dream was to be a nurse. She was eager to begin nursing studies, talking the school into allowing her to take LPN/LVN training at the local community college at the beginning of her junior year. Her plan was that she could be licensed at that level once she turned 18 while working toward more advanced designations. _The kid sure has a plan_, Alex thought.


	9. Chapter 9 - Live Your Dreams

**Live Your Dreams**

**Charlotte's Web, Chapter 9**

As Alex continued to thumb through the rest of the notebook, a CNA came in to take Sophie's BP, which had been lowering. She frowned toward Alex, sharing the reading, "80/50." Alex pressed his lips together and nodded, sharing, "Her feet are swelling and are cold, altered consciousness beginning, sleeping more, socially withdrawing."

The CNA, surprised by Alex's command of important signs and not knowing he had medical training, assured him, "I'll note that in her chart. And you are?"

Alex stood and extended his hand, "Dr. Alex Karev, I'm a surgeon and Charlotte's father."

The CNA shook his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Doctor. I'm sure you're aware that she's entered the active dying process." Alex nodded as his eyes welled up with tears. The CNA continued, "Her daughter is on her way?"

Alex nodded and said absent-mindedly, "Yeah, I'm on that. Thanks." Alex texted Jo, _It's close _andJo immediately responded _omw. _Then he looked at the clock and texted Charlotte, _Almost to the hospital? _Charlotte responded _Yep. Can see the front doors from the edge of the parking lot. _Alex texted back _Good, I'll see you *soon*. _Charlotte was puzzled about why he'd stressed the time factor, but shrugged it off.

A few minutes later, Charlotte entered the room fully expecting a lucid mom. "Hey, Mama Bear," she exclaimed as she came through the curtain by the door. She stopped in her tracks, noticing that Sophie was drastically different than the previous day. Jo happened to come in behind Charlotte, nearly bumping into her because Jo hadn't anticipated anyone standing just on the other side of the curtain.

Jo put a hand on Charlotte's shoulder and asked softly, "Is it ok if I do this?" Jo did not wanted to be present for Charlotte but didn't want to appear to be rushing in to replace Sophie and Sophie's role in Charlotte's life. Charlotte said nothing, softly moved her shoulder downward as she turned around and smirked a forced smile. Charlotte walked over to the bed and grasped her mom's hand. She buried her head on the edge of Sophie's bed and began sobbing. Alex lightly placed his hand over Charlotte's and Charlotte grasped his hand with her other hand.

Jo came closer and rubbed Charlotte's back, saying, "Let the tears fall, honey." Charlotte hated to be called any food-related term of endearment because she'd always found it strange to call someone a food. But she knew that people probably found it really odd that her mom called her Spider, a name that stuck from the first time they read Charlotte's Web together. Only her mom used the nickname, and Charlotte wasn't sure if she'd ever want to hear it again once Sophie passed away. Amber had encouraged Charlotte to put the decision off and just trust her gut as time went on, offering, "There's no rush to figure that out. If you do decide ask anyone to call you Spider, you'll know when the time is right."

"Can she hear me if I talk to her?" Charlotte asked Alex.

Alex responded, "We don't know for sure, but I think she can."

Charlotte edged close to Sophie's ear and whispered, "Hey, Mom." Sophie's hand returned the clasp that Charlotte still held.

Charlotte looked back at Alex, who nodded his head, "I saw." Charlotte kissed Sophie's hand as Alex got up and started carefully and gently removing all Sophie's various tubes and IVs except for the morphine. He explained, to nobody in particular, "These aren't helping her anymore." He asked Charlotte, "Kiddo, do you want to lie next to her? The hospital people won't tell you that you can, but they won't stop you from doing it either." Charlotte nodded and climbed carefully next to Sophie.

"She's getting close, Charlotte," Alex explained, "Could be just a few minutes or hours."

Charlotte softly responded, "I know. The hospice people told me this might happen." She glanced back at Alex, and he put his hand on her upper arm. Jo held Alex's hand as they sat in vigil.

About 30 minutes later, Sophie opened her eyes just a little and worked hard to speak, "Spider…love…you…Spider."

Charlotte responded between tears with a cracking voice, "I love you too, Mama Bear." Sophie wanted to speak more but struggled to do so.

Three or four minutes later, Sophie said, "Alex…" Alex clasped her hand and said, "I'm right here, Sophie."

Sophie responded weakly and with great effort, "Thanks."

Alex's tears began to flow little by little. He took a few deep breaths and said, "Hey, no. Thank you. Charlotte is the best surprise I've ever encountered." Alex leaned down and kissed Sophie's forehead, then stepped back and sat back down next to Jo.

Breathing became more and more difficult for Sophie, and she was intermittently gasping for air. "Sometimes this goes on awhile, Charlotte," Alex explained.

Charlotte remained in the bed next to her mom and whispered, "That's ok."

Then about 20 minutes later, Sophie surprisingly offered, "Spider, live your dreams, k?"

Charlotte nodded and said, "Ok, Mom."

Sophie gathered the last of her strength. She took three steadily decreasing breaths and was gone.

Alex, who had heisted a random stethoscope, listed for Sophie's heart, which was no longer beating. Alex shook his head as he looked at Jo then put his hand on Charlotte's shoulder, "She's gone." Charlotte sat up and fell into Alex's chest. Alex, knowing the importance of saying the words aloud, said, "She's gone, Charlotte. She died. Your mom loved you so much." Alex said those words all the time, but they were nearly impossible to utter in this situation.

Jo quietly stepped out to tell the nurse that Sophie had died, and Alex continued holding his daughter. Charlotte soaked his shirt with her tears, as Alex related, "I know, Charlotte. It sucks. She was too young."

Charlotte looked up from Alex's chest and offered, "You know, Dad, you can call me Spider if you want."

Alex nodded with a soft smile, "Cool."

Sophie's memorial service and cleaning out the house filled up all of the next week. Alex and Charlotte grew closer as they shared the experiences of grief and goodbyes. Alex had offered to figure out a way for Charlotte to stay in Iowa until the end of the quarter, but she was resolute that she was ready to get out of the snow, move to Seattle, and change her scenery. Eight days after Sophie's death, Charlotte looked directly at Alex and said, "Let's go, Dad. I'm done with this part of my life."

Alex looked at her with softened eyes, "Anything you say, Spider," and put his arm around his daughter as they walked through the door and headed home.


	10. Chapter 10 - Broken Home

**Broken Home**

**Charlotte's Web – Chapter 10**

As Alex unlocked the front door, he saw Charlotte checking out the outside of the house as discreetly as she could. He walked into the entry and said, "Your room is up the stairs, 2nd door on the right. Want me to show you?"

Charlotte looked a little wistful and responded, "Actually, Dad, if it's ok, can I just kind of wander around the house by myself?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah, oh yeah, sure. It's your home, too."

Charlotte smiled as she headed up the stairs and went to put on her headphones, "2nd on right, right?"

Alex nodded affirmatively, but added, "If you want another room, we can talk about it. But for now, that's what's set up."

Jo came up from behind and hugged Alex, "How are you doing?"

Alex shrugged, "I'm good. Not sure what to do next. Now what do we do? I feel clueless."

Alex paused and grinned mischievously, "I'll do what I do best." He turned around and kissed his incredible wife who had handled this whole transition with grace and support, "Hey, you're not so bad, you know that?" Jo smiled, knowing that this was Alex's way of saying he loved her. They began kissing in the entry as they held each other.

As the kissing continued, they heard a voice from upstairs ask, "Is your room the one on the left at the end of the hall?" Alex quickly pulled away from Jo, acting like a kid who'd been caught by his parents, "Yep."

Charlotte answered, "Cool. I won't go in there then."

Jo giggled, "Alex, it's ok if she sees us kissing."

Alex responded, "Shut up."

Jo playfully jabbed him and rolled her eyes, "You're too much. Now, dinner…go out or stay in?"

Alex responded, "Crap, I dunno. I'm tired but it's her first night here. It seems lame not to celebrate."

Jo suggested, "Why don't we ask her, then?" Alex nodded as Jo headed up the stairs. When Jo reached the top of the stairs, Charlotte's door was closed. Jo could hear Charlotte crying and knocked softly on the door, "Hey, Charlotte?"

Charlotte responded quickly, "Just a sec." She sniffled and wiped her tears away, checking the mirror to make sure there wasn't mascara running down her cheeks. She opened the door, plastered on a fake smile and asked, "What's up?"

Jo looked in her eyes, "Are you ok?"

Charlotte continued her fake smile – the same cheesy, toothy grin Alex would plaster on when he forced a smile – and said, "Oh, yeah. Beautiful house. It's great…really beautiful."

Jo stood in the doorway and paused. She asked, "Do you have everything you need? Enough pillows and blankets?"

Charlotte nodded as tears involuntarily pooled in her eyes. She took some deep breaths as she attempted to hold them back.

Jo observed, "It's ok to be grieving, to feel overwhelmed by the move, you know? I want you to feel comfortable being yourself here. This is your home, and we're your family. You don't need to fake a smile or hold back tears."

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte tried to keep herself from yelling at Jo to leave her alone. Charlotte didn't appreciate Jo's rattling on and asking so many questions. Even more, Charlotte hated that Jo could see through the smile. Mostly, though, she hated that Jo was not Sophie. Charlotte nodded and said as her voice cracked, "Actually, there is one thing I need that I don't have."

Jo smiled warmly and asked, "What's that?" Charlotte took in a deep breath and locked gazes with Jo. Jo's heart skipped a beat as she met Alex's eyes and angry expression coming through their daughter. Jo broke the silence, saying, "So what else do you need?" Jo concluded with a soft grin, hoping to calm the interchange.

Charlotte, deeply established in the anger stage of grief and having stubborn Karev blood flowing through her veins, was anything but calm. Charlotte looked up at the ceiling, tightened her jaw and declared, "Privacy." With that, she slammed the door just as Alex came up to see what was taking Jo so long.

"Hey!" Alex yelled loudly as he reacted, "Not ok, Charlotte. Not ok."

Charlotte was crying into her pillow and could not be heard in the hallway. She was overwhelmed with grief and by the whirlwind of the last few weeks. A few months ago, life was fairly predictable with Sophie. Life had always been just the two of them, and Sophie was the queen of routine. Now, Sophie was dead and the closest thing Charlotte had to a mother was her father's young bubbly wife who tried too hard. Today, Charlotte was living thousands of miles from home, residing with a father she just met, and missing all her friends. She didn't know her way around the house, and she hated the girly purple walls of her bedroom. Charlotte thought to herself, _I'm sure Jo picked out this color. _In Charlotte's world, Jo could do nothing right. Really, she was just an easy target for Charlotte's grief and stress.

Alex reached to open the door announcing loudly, "Charlotte, come out here and apologize to Jo for slamming the door in her face."

Jo grabbed his arm and said quietly, "Alex, she's grieving. She's tired. She's in a new house with new parents in a new city. Cut her some slack."

Alex grumbled to Jo, "If we start out cutting her slack, it'll only get worse." Alex knocked on the door again and demanded, "Charlotte, did you hear me?"

Charlotte was sitting up in her bed, drying her tears and trying not to flip out at Alex's yelling. Sophie had almost always interacted with regular volume. Sophie was adept at exhibiting a steely calm and striking the fear of God into her daughter without raising her voice a bit. Charlotte responded, "Uh, yeah, it was pretty impossible _not _to hear you."

Jo closed her eyes and mumbled, "Oh boy…here we go." Then she whispered toward Alex, "You know that yelling at her is only escalating everything, right?"

Alex glared at her. The words came flowing out of his mouth before his brain engaged, "Don't tell me how to raise my daughter, ok?" He immediately thought to himself, _Crap, that was the wrong thing to say, and I said it way too loud._

Jo tightened her lips and put her tongue in her cheek. She folded her arms, looking at Alex with fury, and announced, "You've just lost your ally, pal. I'm out of here." She hurried down the stairs and directly out the front door, grabbing her car keys and purse as she passed the entry table.

Alex fumed internally. He began to put his hand on Charlotte's door to knock again, but then moved his hand away and closed his eyes. He paused and walked downstairs to grab a beer thinking, _I don't know what the hell I'm doing._

When Alex returned to the upstairs hallway, Charlotte's door was open. Alex could hear the shower. He walked into his bedroom and plopped onto his bed. After a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes. He lay there thinking, _What the hell am I doing trying to be someone's dad? _ He remained there for about 10 minutes, then grabbed his phone and texted Jo, _I'm sorry. I was an ass. I apologize. _He thought to himself, _I should probably just get that tattooed on my forehead. _He waited for a response, but none arrived.

After about 20 minutes, the shower was still going. Alex got up and knocked on the bathroom door. He tried to sound cool but immediately realized he sounded like a stereotypical Dad, "Hey, Charlotte, water isn't free. You've been in there long enough."

Charlotte was almost done, but decided she'd linger now that her dad was bugging her. She called out, "I'm getting there. Just rinsing my hair."

Alex leaned against the window at the end of the hallway drinking his beer when he heard his phone buzz a text alert. He jumped from his stance, dropping the beer. "Dammit!" he called out as the bottle crashed on the wood floor and broke into a million pieces. He continued toward his bedroom and called out to Charlotte, "Hey, stay in there a minute. There's glass all over the floor." Charlotte heard his voice but couldn't make out what he said.

Alex jumped onto his bed, reaching for his phone that was on the nightstand. The text was from Meredith, _I'm dying to know how it's going. Call me. _Alex shook his head and double checked his phone to make sure Jo hadn't texted back. There were no other texts, so he tried her again, _Hey, I know you're mad. Can you just let me know you're safe? _He rolled onto his back and relaxed on the bed, temporarily forgetting completely about Charlotte and the broken glass. A text came about a minute later and another one arrived before he even read the first one. Meredith's text read, _You're ignoring me. Don't do that. _Then Alex smiled as he saw that he had a text from Jo. His smile faded when he pulled it up and read it. All it said was, _safe._

Charlotte opened the bathroom door and began to step into the hallway when she heard Alex call out with panic, "Charlotte, stop!" Charlotte thought to herself, _he not only yells, he randomly panics? _She called back, "Why?" Alex was walking into the hallway barefoot, oblivious to the glass nearest him, saying, "Because there's broken gla… DAMMIT!" He'd stepped on a large piece of glass and it had gone deep into his foot. He winced as he looked at Charlotte with frustration, "That's why." Alex brushed some nearby glass away and sat down in the hallway.

Charlotte, still frozen in the bathroom doorway, flatly said, "Oh." She looked at the scene of glass scattered all over the hallway and noticed Alex's left foot profusely bleeding. "Ummm, Dad, it looks like you're losing all the blood in your body through your foot. You're…uh…bleeding. A lot."

Alex looked up at her. He stopped himself from yelling at her the way he'd screech at a clueless intern that wasn't just jumping in to help. He noticed she looked scared and said, "Just throw me a towel. I'll be ok."

Charlotte threw him a towel and commented, "That's a _really _big piece of glass, Dad."

Alex closed his eyes, reminding himself this was his 15 year old daughter and not a clueless intern. "Yep, it is. And it kills. Is there some way you can collect the glass in the hall without cutting yourself?"

Charlotte disappeared into the bathroom, calling out, "I don't see a broom or anything."

Alex huffed, "How about an extra towel or washcloth?"

"Yep, there's a bunch in here," Charlotte answered.

"Ok, throw a towel to me for my foot and use a couple washcloths to move all the glass into a pile," Alex explained.

"Oh, good idea," Charlotte offered as she threw Alex another towel and noticed how bloody the first one was. "Ewwww…Dad, that towel is _full_ of blood. I think I'm going to be sick."

"Charlotte, look away and take a couple deep breaths and focus on gathering the glass into a pile," Alex insisted. "You are _not _going to toss your cookies, ok?"

Charlotte quickly gathered the glass with the washcloths as Alex protectively warned her to watch for tiny pieces. She responded a bit surly, "Dad, I know how to clean up broken glass."

Once Charlotte had gathered much of the glass and had to either head toward Alex or her room, he suggested, "Go ahead to your room and get dressed then come back and help me."

Charlotte raised one eyebrow, looking just like Sophie, and laughed, "Ummm….yeah, right. You need help more than I need to get out of my robe. Get over yourself."

Alex looked at her with a slight glint in his eye, "You really are a smartass, aren't you?"

Charlotte looked to her right then her left, not knowing how to respond. She looked at Alex's foot and said, "Dad, that really is a ton of blood."

Alex shook his head, "I'm fine. I just need to get this sucker out of my foot. Can you help me get to my bed?" Charlotte put her arm around his waist and Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they hobbled to the bed. Alex looked Charlotte right in the eye and said, "Good job. Thanks." He unwrapped the towel and looked down at his foot, "Damn, it's really deep. Hey, Charlotte, do me a favor. Go down to my car and pop the trunk – you can use the key fob or the release to the left of the steering wheel. Inside the trunk is a black bag about this big. Bring that to me, ok?"

Charlotte said, "Ok, but can I get dressed first?"

Alex nodded and grumbled, "Whatever" as he returned his gaze to his foot. He grabbed his phone and texted Jo, _I need you to call me. I'm hurt._ Jo responded, _Well so am I, Alex. So am I. _Alex rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Shut up" as he heard Charlotte descend the stairs. He texted back, _No like physically hurt. Ok but need help. _Jo texted back _I'm at Joe's with Steph. Can't YOUR daughter help you? _Alex sighed audibly and repeated with anger, "Shut. Up." He picked up his phone and called Jo, who didn't answer.

Charlotte came in with Alex's medical bag and said with total disgust, "I don't have to deal with it, do I?"

Alex looked at her with disbelief and opened the bag, grabbing some supplies. As he attempted to work the piece out of his foot, he commented, "I thought you wanted to be a nurse."

Charlotte clarified, "Not a foot with huge chunk of glass, bleeding all over the place nurse. That's just nasty, Dad. Sorry, but it's…" She ran into Alex's bathroom and threw up. Alex rolled his eyes and said to the ceiling, "Come on." He flopped backwards onto the bed and texted Mer, _Are you at the hospital? _

Meredith immediately responded, _It's about time you respond. Yes, I am. _

Alex texted as he heard Charlotte lose it again, _I've got a huge piece of glass stuck in my foot and I can't get it out myself. _

Meredith texted back, _Can't Jo help? _

Alex texted, _Calling you now._

Meredith's phone rang and she immediately answered, "It's just a piece of glass, Alex. Really? You can't deal with that yourself?"

Alex said with contempt, "My kid is throwing chunks in my bathroom, my foot has bled through three bath towels in less than five minutes, and Jo is at the bar."

"What did you do to piss Jo off, Alex? What did you do this time?" Mer asked as she gathered her coat and keys and headed toward the parking lot.

"Shut up, Mer. Just get your ass over here and help me," Alex demanded.

"That's a fine way to ask your person for an inconvenient favor," Meredith explained.

Alex growled, "Mer…"

"Alex, stop. I'm on my way. Now wrap your foot and elevate it. You don't have it elevated, do you?"

Alex lied and said as if he were taunting someone on the playground, "Yes, I have it elevated." He hung up the phone and went back to studying the piece of glass.

Charlotte came out of the bathroom and said, "Your foot isn't elevated. Who are you lying to?"

"My person," he grumbled.

"Huh?" Charlotte asked with confusion.

"Nothing. Hey, a friend is coming over to help me with this. Do me a favor. Grab a bunch of pillows and then put a few towels on top of the pillows so I can elevate my foot." Alex insisted.

"You mean like you already lied about doing?" Charlotte said with an air of loathing as she folded her arms.

"Go. Now." Alex demanded sharply.

Charlotte did as Alex had asked and got him settled. Just as she was helping him lie back, Meredith came through the front door and up the stairs. She appeared in the doorway and extended her hand, "You must be Charlotte. I'm Meredith."

Alex corrected, "She's Dr. Grey to you, Spider."

Charlotte looked back at Alex, jutted out her chin and rolled eyes. She turned back toward Meredith with a smile and shook her hand, "So nice to meet you, Dr. Grey."

Alex interjected, "Don't be fooled by her manners. She turns them off, gets sassy, and then barfs."

Charlotte threw her hands up to cover her face and whined, "Dad!"

Meredith giggled and said, "That sounds wonderful, Alex. Someone calling you 'Dad' with a hint of teenage angst."

"Help me with my damn foot, Mer," Alex ordered.

Meredith unwrapped Alex's foot and said, "Oh my, Alex. You weren't kidding." Meredith turned to Charlotte and asked her to go get a broom and finish cleaning up the hallway. Knowing that the brooms hadn't moved from where she used to store them, she explained how to get to the laundry room and find the broom and dustpan. Then Meredith added, "And can you call your mom and tell her she really does need to come home?"

Alex closed his eyes as Charlotte looked at Meredith blankly, "Ummm…my mom is dead."

Meredith smiled softly, "I'm sorry. I meant your step-mom. Oh, Charlotte, I'm sorry I said that."

Charlotte pursed her lips and held out her hand for Alex's phone, explaining, "I don't have her number or anything yet. Can I use your phone?"

Alex winced as Meredith worked with the glass, screaming, "Ouch!"

Meredith looked at him, "Alex, don't be a big baby." Then she motioned her head toward her purse and said, "Use my phone. Her number is under 'Wilson'. She's more likely to answer me, I think. Which reminds me, Alex, what did you do to upset her?"

Alex defensively whimpered, "How do you know _I_ upset _her_? Maybe she's just hanging out with Stephanie!"

Charlotte, dialing Jo's number and bringing the phone to her ear, said, "But…uh…Dad, you _did_ upset her."

Meredith smiled knowingly, "Isn't parenthood fun?"

FF_6295206_ 1/31/2015


	11. Chapter 11 - Above and Below the Surface

**Cracks Above and Below the Surface**

**Charlotte's Web – Chapter 11**

After studying Alex's bloody foot, Meredith determined that she'd need to take him over to the hospital in order to get the glass out. Charlotte had gotten a hold of Jo and explained the situation. The tense conversation ended with Jo agreeing to meet them at the hospital.

Meredith settled Alex into a treatment room as Charlotte sat on a chair playing with her phone. Alex looked over at his daughter while Meredith excused herself to find some supplies, "Who are you texting?"

Charlotte didn't look up and asked with surprise, "Why?"

Alex rolled his eyes and said in a measured way, "Because your mom told me all about how she checked your texts and everything. So I'm asking, and you're going to tell me."

Charlotte stopped texting, looked at him, and said, "Really, Dad? Really? You're a busy surgeon and you're going to spend hours of your day spying on me?"

Alex sat up straight and put his shoulders back as if he was posturing, "Is there anything in there worth spying on?"

Charlotte, once again keeping her eyes locked on the phone, said, "Maybe. Maybe not."

Alex held out his hand and said, "Charlotte, please give me the phone."

Charlotte looked up at him with her brows wrinkled and said, "Nope."

Alex was determined to remain calm, "Give me the phone, Charlotte Sophia Karsden."

Charlotte shook her head as a nurse came in to further numb Alex's foot, "No. I'm using it."

Alex greeted Karen, the nurse, and introduced her to Charlotte, adding as he looked sternly at Charlotte, "And she needs to hand me her phone."

Karen shared a friendly smile with Charlotte as she spread topical anesthetic on Alex's foot and said, "What kind of phone do you have? I just got an iPhone 6 – the bigger one – and I love it." She poked the needle into Alex's foot as he silently winced.

Charlotte said, "I've got the smaller 6."

The nurse asked, "Can I see it? I'd love to get a sense of the size difference. Sometimes I wonder if I should've gotten the smaller one."

Charlotte, unaware she was about to be duped, handed the phone over to the nurse, "Sure."

"Thanks," Karen said as she grasped it and looked at it. Then she turned to Alex and said, "Here you go, Dad." The nurse looked back at Charlotte and said, "Sorry, sweetie." Charlotte's mouth fell open as Alex grinned proudly and began to go through the texts. Charlotte just sat back in the chair, folded her arms and looked up at the ceiling. Alex chuckled or expressed surprise as he read the basically harmless commentary of the glass adventure Charlotte had shared with Mike, her boyfriend from Iowa.

Alex had just pulled up and begun reading a flaming text about Jo when Jo walked in. She looked down at Alex's foot, saying with a sigh, "What did you do?"

Alex shrugged, "I stepped on a big piece of glass and lodged it in my foot. I figured I don't spend enough time here so I had to create a reason to come in."

Jo had put on some gloves. She began to examine his foot and study the glass. As she pressed one area, she asked, "Doesn't that hurt?"

Alex slipped onto his back and said, "It did. It's all numb now."

Jo glanced quickly at Charlotte, "Hey, Charlotte."

Charlotte continued looking at the ceiling and said blankly, "Hi."

Meredith walked in saying, "Ok, here we go! This will be fun! Oh, hey, hi Wilson."

Jo greeted Meredith and said, "When I palpate right here, I feel an uneven edge."

Meredith nodded in agreement as she pressed on Alex's foot, "I know. I'm hoping I don't have to make a cut to remove it. It's definitely jagged."

Alex, still on his back, exclaimed, "What?! I've got a 7 hour surgery scheduled for tomorrow. I'll need to be on my feet all day."

Meredith laughed as she worked with the glass, "You'll be home tomorrow, Alex. We're going to load you up on pain meds and send you home for a few days. I'll get someone to either take or reschedule your surgeries. This is a mess. You'll be laid up most of this week."

Alex had become irritable and grumpy. He growled, "I'm hungry."

Meredith and Jo looked at each other and began to laugh. Meredith winked as she said to Jo, "He's such an easy patient."

Jo suggested to Charlotte, "Hey, Char, would you mind going to the cafeteria and grabbing some food for your dad? You can get something too if you're hungry."

Charlotte, still looking at the ceiling and wishing she had her phone, said, "Sure, as long as you never call me Char again. Oh, and while we're talking about nicknames, can you please stop any nicknames related to food? Those really bother me. You know…names like honey, sweetie, pumpkin."

Jo took a breath in and ignored the tone of voice, not wanting to give it her attention. She grabbed her wallet out of her purse, fishing out some cash. She explained how to get to the cafeteria and Charlotte asked, "What if I get lost?"

Jo shrugged, "Then just text me, describing what is around you and I'll help."

Charlotte explained, "But Dad has my phone."

Alex grumbled, "If you get lost, ask for directions from someone who looks like they work here. Go."

Charlotte walked out as Meredith asked Alex, "So, how's parenthood? Everything you expected it to be?" Mer pulled on the glass and shook her head, turning toward Jo, "I am going to need to make a cut."

Alex said, "Considering I wasn't sure what to expect, I guess it's ok. I have to say, though, that the kid was basically an angel before her mom died and has been increasingly mouthy since we arrived in Seattle."

Jo offered, "Alex, she's grieving. She's in a new place. Her bedroom isn't the one she's had all her life. Everyone she knows is in Iowa. And she's 15. It's going to take some time."

Mer, having made a small cut, offered, "_And_ she's testing you. I don't care if she's 4 like Zola or 15, kids test the limits."

Alex described the night to Meredith and asked, "So what would you do, Mer?"

Meredith grinned as she made another cut and began pulling the glass out of Alex's foot, "The first thing I would do is ignore the sass and attitude tonight. Just be calm and don't react to her while you're here. When you get home, tell her you'll want to talk in the morning. Then in the morning, calmly share the list of behaviors that were out of line. You can say, 'Charlotte, this started last night when you slammed the door in Jo's face, then your sass crossed the line, then you refused to hand over your phone when I asked. If you'd given it to me when I asked, you would have gotten it right back. Now, since you didn't, I'll keep the phone for 3 days,' or something like that. Just be calm, clear, and matter-of-fact. State your expectations and the consequences."

Alex and Jo looked at Mer in amazement as Alex asked, "You've learned all that just having a 4 year old?"

Meredith, concentrating on Alex's foot and stitching the wound, said, "No, I think I learned that on an adolescent psych rotation. Conversations with Zola just aren't that complicated." Mer looked up and, out of habit, said to Jo, "Can you dress this?"

Jo looked at Meredith and tentatively said, "Uh…sure."

Charlotte knocked on the door with her hands full, and Meredith held the door open for her. Charlotte explained, "Ok, I wasn't sure what you'd like, so here's what I got." Charlotte walked over to a counter and set the tray down. One at a time, she held each item up, "A slice of pizza, a turkey sandwich, a salad with vinaigrette, and some fruit. To drink, I grabbed a 1% milk and a water."

Alex sat up and smiled, "That all sounds great. What are you eating?"

Charlotte shrugged, "I figured I'd eat whatever you didn't want. I picked things I liked and hoped they'd work for you too."

Alex laughed softly, "Those are probably all foods I would've picked. How about if we split the pizza and sandwich? You can have the salad and the milk, I'll take the fruit and the water."

Charlotte handed him the water and said, "Deal." She took a bite of the sandwich and asked, "So, how's your foot?"

Jo offered, "Dr. Grey had to make two cuts to remove the glass. It looked like it went in at an angle and then turned. She also did a set of stitches inside and then one on the surface. Your dad's going to be off his feet most of the week."

Alex took a big bite of pizza and shrugged his shoulders, speaking with his mouth full, "So Jo's going to need to take you to check out schools tomorrow. Sorry I can't go."

"Can't we just wait until next week?" Charlotte asked.

"Uh…no," Alex offered. "You need to start school this week."

"But I could stay home and help you since you won't be able to get around, Dad," Charlotte said trying to convince her dad of her brilliant insight.

Alex lowered his chin and looked at Charlotte, "Nice try, Spider. The answer is no."

Charlotte tried to display her best sad face, "But, Dad, I'll be worried about you all day."

Alex laughed, "You get an A for effort, Charlotte Sophia. I'm done discussing this."

Jo had sat still and kept silent throughout the interchange, but was relieved to see Alex displaying a calm but firm backbone.

The next day, Jo reluctantly headed out with Charlotte to visit three schools. Alex had lined up appointments at two private schools and at the local public high school. Charlotte didn't make conversation with Jo, but was quietly pleasant. At each school, Charlotte asked questions and seemed engaged. After each visit, though, Jo would ask what Charlotte thought and would receive a quiet shrug. Jo was beginning to develop a theory that Charlotte treated her the way she did because she knew Jo wouldn't give up on her. With that in mind, Jo simply continued to be kind and pleasant. She tried not to take the 15 year old's contempt personally.

When Jo and Charlotte returned home in the early afternoon, Charlotte went to the kitchen to grab something for lunch, and Jo asked her to make something for Alex and take it up to him. Jo touched base with Alex about her impressions of the schools and how Charlotte hadn't really spoken to her all morning. Then Jo headed to her shift at the hospital.

Charlotte walked upstairs after eating and poked her head into Alex's bedroom with food in hand, "Hey, Dad. Hungry?" Alex sat up and grinned, "So how were the schools?" Much to Alex's surprise, Charlotte went on and on with observations and details about each one. She compared the schools to her school in Iowa and shared her impressions of each track and cross country program.

Charlotte concluded her 30 minute summary with, "So, if it is up to me, I really, really want to go to the Episcopal school. The all-girls Catholic school seemed a little uptight. Besides, it would be weird to go to a school only with girls. The public school seemed ok…well, actually way too big and kind of scary."

Alex nodded and said, "Well, I was ok with all of them, so I'm fine with that. It's in the opposite direction from the hospital, so getting you there will be a pain until the end of this year. Once you turn 16 during the summer, it'll be much easier. Your birthday's right around the corner."

Charlotte, honestly confused, asked him to clarify, "Why does it matter when I turn 16?"

Alex took a bite of the sandwich Charlotte had brought up to him and said nonchalantly, "Well, 'cause then you'll have a car."

Charlotte's eyes widened with joy and shock, "I will?!"

Alex casually said, "Well, yeah. Makes it easier on everyone, don't you think?"

Charlotte leaned toward Alex and wrapped her arms around him, "You're awesome, Dad."

Alex was surprised by Charlotte's joy. He'd just been assuming he would buy her a car for her birthday. Nonetheless, he took the opportunity to answer, "Yeah, I know. I am. I'm awesome."

The two spent the afternoon watching movies on TV – Alex would pick one and then Charlotte picked the next one. He'd provide unending snarky commentary on her girl movies, and he'd gasp in disbelief as she criticized the action movies Alex chose. They had a great time together.

When Jo arrived home late that night, not pleased to find popcorn in her bed, she asked Alex if he'd made a decision about which school Charlotte would attend. Alex explained how Charlotte was animated and detailed as she described each school to him. Then he told Jo all about their movie marathon and commentaries. He asked Jo, "Why do you suppose she treats you like crap? I don't get it. She told me all about the morning, and we had a great afternoon."

Jo sighed as she undressed and shared her insights with Alex. "I don't know. I have three different thoughts. First, maybe deep down she knows I won't give up on her so she treats me horribly because I'm not going anywhere. That's the least likely of the three options. The second thought is that maybe she considers me a threat or competition for your attention. My last thought is that she worries I'm trying to replace Sophie." Jo climbed into bed and asked, "Did you talk to her about last night, the door and the phone?"

Alex bounced his head onto his pillow, "Crap, I completely forgot. We were so busy watching movies and talking about the school she chose, and how she can drive there once she gets her license…"

Jo interrupted, "What?!"

Alex asked innocently, "What do you mean, 'what?'"

Jo fumed, "You told her you're going to give her a car? And you let her _choose _the school?"

Alex grumbled, "What? Any school was fine with me. Why not let her choose? And the car is as much for us as for her – that school is in the opposite direction of the hospital."

Jo lay down and faced away from Alex, "Ok, Alex. Fine."

Alex touched her back and leaned toward her, "What'd I do?"

Jo kept looking away as she moved away from Alex's touch, "Alex, she's not a colleague or girlfriend you're trying to impress. She's a kid and you're the Dad. Ignoring last night's behavior, showering her with a car, and letting her choose her school is not going to help anyone in the long run. It just makes you a Disneyland Dad."

Alex pulled away slowly and rolled onto his back, saying softly, "Ouch, Jo. Wow."

The couple spent the night awake but silent, each of them positioned facing outward on the outer edge of their side of the bed.


	12. Chapter 12 - Push and Pull

**Chapter 12**

**Push and Pull**

The morning came far too quickly after a night of no sleep. Jo drug herself out of bed and into the shower at 5:00am so she could get to the hospital before pre-rounds. She left without saying goodbye, unsure and uninterested in whether or not Alex was awake.

When Alex heard Jo leave at 5:45, he did the math and realized he could call and catch Amber before she went to work. Here he was, only a day into Charlotte's move to Seattle and he already wanted more parenting advice than Meredith had shared in the ER the previous night.

"Hello?" Amber answered.

"Amber, it's Alex. Do you have a few minutes?" Alex asked sleepily as he drug himself down the stairs and toward the coffee. Amber told Alex she had about 20 minutes, so Alex gave a brief overview of the first few days he'd spent being a hands-on Dad.

Amber listened and then laughed, "Well…you want me to come visit and go all Super Nanny on her? I can come do an in-home lesson on the Sophie Karsden Parenting Method."

"Very funny," Alex responded. "I guess I don't know what I want. Just some ideas. Or was the Charlotte I saw in Iowa a big hoax?"

Amber shook her head strongly even though her brother could not see her, "Oh, no, absolutely not a hoax. _But…_" Amber emphasized, "Charlotte is the kind of kid who thrives under clear and strict rules. Anytime Soph let up even a little, Charlotte would kind of disintegrate into a mouthy, irresponsible, walking argument."

Alex said, "Yep, that's the kid who's here right now."

Amber suggested, "Well, Alex, think about it. First off, you _just _got home and she's living in a foreign land without any friends or school. You need to give it some time, but I would encourage you to sit down with her and lay out your expectations clearly. She'll respond to that. And if she doesn't, threaten to put her over your knee."

Alex laughed, "Are you kidding me? She's 15. I'm _not_ gonna spank her."

Amber offered, "The last time Sophie spanked her, Charlotte was probably about 12. The threat of ever experiencing that again has kept her in line ever since. I'm not sure if Soph would've followed through or not, but Charlotte sure thought she would. Listen, I gotta go. I'm going to be late for work. Call me later?"

Alex and Amber said their goodbyes as Alex heard Sophie's door open. She was sniffling, so Alex called out, "Are you alright, Spider?"

Charlotte yawned as she headed to the bathroom and offered, "Just missing Mom and feeling weird about the new school. I'll be fine." She locked the bathroom door and emerged about 20 minutes later.

As she walked back to her room, Alex called out, "Charlotte?" Silence hung in the air for a moment as Charlotte stopped walking and froze outside Alex's door.

Meekly, she responded, "Yeah?"

Alex was trying to be in Dad mode but wasn't sure if that meant a firm hand or a giant bear hug, he beckoned, "Come here, please."

Charlotte took in a deep breath, terrified she was in trouble. She was scared since she'd never had to deal with something like this with Alex. She had no idea what he was going to do. She walked to the door and opened it slowly, standing in the doorway, "Yeah?"

Alex looked at her with a serious face and patted the bed, "Come over here. Let's talk."

Charlotte was sure she was in trouble and her body was turning inside out. She forced a smirk as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Listen," Alex began, "I know you just got here. These first few days have been a little weird with my foot and the ER and everything." Charlotte nodded and looked right at Alex as her heart beat fast. She was anticipating a big re-focus in his next words. Alex didn't disappoint as he met her eyes with a stern expression, "But here's what we need to get clear from the get go: we all get mad or crabby sometimes, but you won't slam your door when you're pissed. And when I ask for your phone, you won't take advantage of my injury and tell me no. If I ask you to do something, you do it. I'm not willing to mess around, Charlotte. The attitude, the mouthiness, it stops today. Got it?"

Charlotte swallowed slowly and barely made a sound as she responded, "Mmmmmhmmmm." Tears pooled in her eyes, so she looked away and blinked repeatedly.

Alex nodded, "Good. Then we're clear?"

Charlotte nodded, "Yes, sir." Charlotte stood up at the edge of the bed.

Alex, not accustomed to being called 'sir,' paused and then ordered, "Ok. Now go get ready for school. Jo should be back to take you in about 45 minutes." Alex knew he couldn't make a threat about spanking with a straight face, so he lightly slapped her butt as she left. _That's the best I can do for that, Amber, _he thought.

She came out of her room about a half hour later and Alex grumbled, "Before you go downstairs, I need you to help me take your bedroom door off. Oh, and your phone is mine for two more days."

Charlotte quietly agreed as Alex asked, "What did you hope to accomplish by slamming the door in Jo's face and yelling at her?"

Charlotte, tears still pooling, looked around trying to keep the tears from falling and just shrugged her shoulders and whispered, "I don't know. I really don't. I guess I just wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

Alex shook his head, "Uh, no. I need more than that."

Charlotte looked at the floor and responded, "She was just in my face, telling me we're family and that it is ok to grieve Mom and ok to cry here and blah, blah, blah. I felt suffocated."

Alex replied, "Hmmm…I heard her asking if you had everything you needed. Sounded to me like she was making an extra effort to be nice."

Charlotte continued to look at the floor, pursed her lips and said, "Ok."

Alex observed, "But? You're not buying my view?"

Charlotte looked up at Alex and said from the heart, "Dad, of course you're taking her side. You will probably always do that. There's nothing I can say to change that, so I'm just agreeing."

Alex responded, "Hmmm…well, you're going to apologize to Jo when we catch up with her at the hospital after school. Then you're going to tell her what you just told me about feeling suffocated."

For the first time since he'd met her, Alex heard Charlotte whine, "Dad….how embarrassing. That will just make everything worse."

Alex shrugged his shoulders, "I can make it worse if you're going to whine."

Charlotte responded quickly, "No, really, I'm good."

Alex chuckled, "Yeah, thought so."

Charlotte was starting to learn that Alex's boundaries were firm – maybe not as firm as her mom's - but firm nonetheless. She was fairly sure Sophie would have gone ballistic if she'd been there last night, at least her Dad kept his cool this time.

After school, Alex and Charlotte headed over to the hospital. Alex had a follow up appointment for his foot and he'd promised Jo they would connect with her afterward. The duo made their way to the hospital and Alex, frustrated to be using crutches, began introducing Charlotte to people as soon as they walked in. Bailey was one of the first people Charlotte met. Charlotte really liked her.

Bailey started by looking directly at Charlotte, smiling and saying, "You've got your dad's eyes and smile – those are his best features." Alex shrugged. Then Bailey asked Charlotte if she'd be interested in babysitting Tuck sometime. After confirming with Alex that it would be ok, Charlotte enthusiastically told Bailey about her Red Cross training and babysitting experience. "Well, they're always looking for help in the hospital daycare, maybe you could look into that, too." Bailey offered as she excused herself.

As the pair approached the elevator, Alex reminded Charlotte that they'd be seeing Jo. Charlotte knew what that meant – not only would she have to apologize, but she'd have to do so in front of her dad and in a public place. She groaned internally. Then Alex saw Arizona and introduced her to Charlotte. Charlotte immediately felt a connection with her for some reason. They had a wonderful chat and Arizona asked if Charlotte was available to babysit Sofia.

Alex clenched his jaw as he heard the name, but relaxed it when Charlotte responded softly, "That was my mom's name."

Arizona offered to take Charlotte to coffee sometime, saying, "I would love to hear about your mom. What your dad has told me already has me convinced she was spectacular." Then, Arizona softly put her hand on Charlotte's arm and looked right into her eyes, "The pain and tears come and go, don't they?"

Charlotte teared up a little and softly said, "Yeah."

Charlotte thought to herself, _"Oh you should've seen the grief raging last night, lady."_

Arizona reassured Charlotte, saying, "Grief sucks. I lost my brother in Iraq."

Charlotte responded, "It's so empty and tough."

Arizona hugged Charlotte and agreed, "Yep, I know. Hang in there, baby girl." Charlotte would've normally been mortified to have someone call her 'babygirl' but somehow it was full of love, unicorns, and rainbows when Arizona said it.

Alex and Charlotte stepped into the elevator, and saw Meredith, Derek, Zola, and Bailey. Charlotte greeted Meredith, "Hi, Dr. Grey."

Meredith smiled and said, "Hi, Charlotte. I'd like you to meet my family."

Charlotte was already kneeling down to Zola's level and interacting with her. Charlotte looked up at Derek when Meredith introduced him. She smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you. And who is this?"

Meredith offered, "Zozo, can you introduce yourself?" Suddenly, Zola became shy – all part of an act for more attention.

Derek knelt down and put his arm around Zola and said, "Use good manners. This is what you do." He introduced himself and shook Charlotte's hand, then Zola said, "I'm Zola and I hug!" Zola bound into Charlotte's arms. The elevator doors opened and before he stood up, Derek asked, "Do you babysit?"

Charlotte smiled and said, "Yes. I'd love to."

Derek took a pen and card out of his white coat, "What's your number?"

Alex responded jokingly, "Hey, Shepherd, back off. No asking my daughter for her digits."

Charlotte sunk into herself and looked up with reddened cheeks, absolutely and utterly embarrassed at Alex's joke. "Welcome to fatherhood, Karev, the land where Daddies try to protect their daughters from the world and fail miserably by embarrassing them instead." Derek put the blank card and pen back in his pocket and patted Charlotte on her shoulder, "We'll catch up later."

The elevator door closed and Alex and Charlotte were the only passengers. Charlotte sighed a stereotypical teen girl, lovelorn sigh and said, "I know he's old, Dad, but he is the bomb. OMG, Dad. What a babe. He is so gorgeous." Alex put his hand up to his forehead and rubbed his face, trying not to react.

Alex showed Charlotte the hospital and continued introducing her to his colleagues. Anyone could tell that they were father and daughter. As he approached the NICU, he decided he wanted to check on a patient. He let Charlotte robe and glove up and join him. Alex introduced Charlotte to the parents of a preemie he had operated on just before he left for Iowa. He was performing a series of tests and said, "Charlotte, I need to test her grip – you want to put your hand in, lightly touch her palm and see what she does?"

Charlotte's heart just about burst through her chest as she calmly approached the baby, who immediately grasped her finger. Charlotte looked up at Alex and the parents in amazement, "She's strong." Then Charlotte turned to chat with the baby, and the baby's heart rate calmed as Charlotte spoke.

"Look at that, Spider, you're a natural," Alex beamed. He pointed out the monitor and explained the significance of Charlotte's interaction with the baby. Alex turned to the parents and offered, "I don't see any reason why Hailey can't go home as soon as tomorrow. Are you ready for the transition?" Alex led the parents through some instructions and details as Hailey continued to grasp Charlotte's finger.

Charlotte was full of wonder and was whispering to the baby, "I wish my dad had known me when I was this small. You're so lucky to have both your parents, babygirl. Treasure them even when they drive you nuts, ok?"

Alex had heard Charlotte, but didn't let on. He touched her shoulder and said, "I just got a text from Jo – Let's go have coffee….or whatever 15 year olds have." Charlotte offered, "The well behaved ones usually drink soda or water or G2. The problem children drink alcohol."

Alex nodded his head once and said, "Noted."

Charlotte felt a rock in the pit of her stomach. She really liked Jo, but for some weird reason, she'd felt hostile toward Jo since her mom died. She couldn't make sense of it. Alex grabbed some coffee while Charlotte filled a cup with Mountain Dew. Alex grimaced, "Your mom let you drink that crap?"

Charlotte smiled, "Actually, no. Pretty much, I could choose between Gatorade, milk, juice or water."

Alex nodded as he paid for the drinks, "Ah…so you're playing me, huh?"

Charlotte's eyes widened with concern, "No, Dad, really. I'm not. You want me to dump it?"

Alex put his arm around his daughter and said, "Nah…I guess I just need to figure out where I stand on soda. For now, enjoy."

Charlotte sat down across from Jo as Alex put his arm around Jo, kissed her and whispered something in her ear. Jo reacted by keeping a flat expression but raising her eyebrows. Then she greeted Charlotte matter-of-factly, "Hi Charlotte. How are you?"

Charlotte responded awkwardly, wondering how she'd steer to the apology, "I'm good. Dad took me to the NICU and a tiny baby grasped my finger."

Jo responded, "Well, that sounds better than our experience the other night, huh?"

Charlotte thought to herself, _Ok…well apparently Jo is going to steer the conversation to the apology for me._ "Jo, I need to apologize to you for how I acted. I'm very sorry I snapped at you and slammed my door. It was out of line and I was a brat."

Alex stopped chewing the Danish he'd just bit into, shocked his 15 year old could give such a mature apology.

Then Alex looked at Jo, who responded, "Thank you, Charlotte. You _were_ out of line, and I trust it won't happen again. I forgive you."

Alex added, "There's more, right Charlotte?"

Charlotte took in a deep breath and added, "Dad asked me this morning what I was trying to accomplish by arguing." Charlotte looked away and saw Derek in the distance. He smiled and waved. Charlotte waved back.

"Over here, young lady," Jo said firmly, surprised at her own words and tone.

Charlotte looked at Jo and said, "I just really felt suffocated."

Jo asked, "My trying to help and asking if you had what you needed was too much?"

Charlotte looked up at the sky, "I'm not trying to fight."

Jo responded, "Neither am I. I was asking for clarification."

Charlotte explained, "I really wanted to just be alone. You talked about how we're a family, and it bugged me to be told it was ok to cry and grieve Mom. I just wanted to be alone. I didn't want to throw a teary grief party where we all hung out together in misery."

Jo was hurt that her good intentions exasperated her step-daughter. At the same time, Jo understood Charlotte's point of view. Jo avoided a direct response and asked, "What will you do differently next time?"

Charlotte felt like turning invisible and was frustrated by Jo's steely interactions and challenges. Charlotte pursed her lips as Jo's pager went off. Jo looked down then at Alex, "911 – on the baby I just had in the OR."

Then Jo switched her gaze and said to Charlotte, "We'll talk later, Charlotte."

All Charlotte could manage in response was a meek and quiet, "Yes, ma'am." Jo leaned down and kissed Alex then ran toward the elevators. Charlotte just sat there, unsure what to do. She looked to her left, looked up, looked down and fixed her gaze on the table top.

Alex continued to eat his Danish and drink his coffee, then he broke the silence, "Well that was as fun as a barrel of monkeys." Charlotte let out a small laugh and blinked away the tears that Alex noticed but pretended not to see.

As the father and daughter walked out of the cafeteria, Derek called over, "Hey, Karevs…" Alex looked, but Charlotte, not used to being called that name, didn't. Alex gently grabbed her arm as she started to walk forward and said, "That's us."

Charlotte changed directions and offered, "Hi again, Dr. Grey, is it? I'm trying to remember all the faces and names."

Derek smiled, "My wife is Dr. Grey. I'm Dr. Shepherd. You can call me Derek."

Alex interjected, "Dr. Shepherd is fine."

Charlotte smiled as both Derek and Charlotte raised their eyebrows and shrugged their shoulders. Alex continued, "Well, you're her elder and all that crap."

Derek smiled and responded, "Nice, Karev. There you go," then he turned to Charlotte and said, "If you're interested in babysitting, can you jot down your number?" Derek handed Charlotte a pen and one of his cards, "You can just write on the back."

Then Meredith approached and greeted the group, "Sit down, Alex. Hi Charlotte."

Derek suggested, "Actually, I don't know if it's too soon and if you're still settling in, but I was hoping to take my wife to a Sonics game on Friday and my regular sitter – my sister – has to work."

Charlotte looked at Alex who said, "Yeah, that'll work. I'm working Friday night anyway and so is Jo."

Derek said reassuringly, "How about if Charlotte stays in our guest room and we can all meet up the next morning for brunch?"

Charlotte thought that sounded great as Alex looked at her, "Sure," he said. "That'd be really nice, Shepherd – then she doesn't have to be home alone all night."

Meredith added, "Alone in _that_ house at night? I grew up in that house and wouldn't recommend being alone there at night – it creaks. Anytime your parents are both working, you're more than welcome at our house…especially if you keep Miss Zola engaged," she said with a smirk.

Derek said, "Well, there we go. Sounds great. How about if we pick you up when we get off work at 4?" Charlotte agreed and smiled, handing him the pen and card explaining she'd stay at school after the last bell and study so they could pick her up there. As Alex and Charlotte departed, Derek read the back of the card, chuckled and showed it to Meredith. It read:

My cell: 563-555-0098 (I get it back Friday morning)

My Dad's cell (because he insisted on taking

my phone away for something that was no

big deal): 206-555-5443

"I'd love to frame this and give it to Karev for Christmas," Derek joked.

Meredith smiled and said, "Why don't you hold on to it for awhile – we don't want to get the poor kid into more trouble with her dad." Derek smirked and put the card in his pocket as Meredith added, "I think there's a lot of adjusting going on. I'm pretty impressed with Charlotte, though – great manners and a lovely demeanor."

Derek responded, "Well, yeah, remember Karev didn't raise her."

Meredith offered a flat, "Derek."

Derek laughed and said, "Well, it's true."

Meredith admonished, "Don't say that to anyone else. It's mean." Derek just grinned – he couldn't wait to tell Owen. Meredith added, "And she's, well she looks like she's in her early 20s, not 15. Alex is going to have his hands full keeping her from all the boys."

Derek, still out of line, referred to Charlotte's buxom chest, "Well, when the boys look at her, that's what they will all want too – to have their hands full."

Meredith rolled up a file and playfully hit Derek on the head with it as he attempted to duck and broke into laughter. "She's 15, Derek. 15. Comments like that are creepy." Derek shrugged and thought to himself, _Creepy? Yeah, maybe. I'm just going to shut up now._

During the spring, Charlotte settled in with a group of girls and joined the track team. Once summer came, she had plenty of opportunities to hang out with friends from school, to babysit for Alex's colleagues, and to start attending a grief group for teens at the hospital. Alex had given her a handout about the group and encouraged her to try it out.

The therapist who ran the grief group was wonderful and approachable. Charlotte really appreciated having a place where other kids were struggling like she was. As the summer went on, Charlotte met Matt, a boy whose Dad had died in a car accident. Matt's mom, Sheryl, was a gentle and insightful woman. One day as Charlotte waited for Jo to pick her up, Sheryl asked Charlotte for contact information for Jo. Sheryl wanted to offer to give Charlotte a ride to or from the hospital when Jo was in a pinch. Sheryl was an at home mom with time to help, and she could only imagine how busy Jo was as a surgical resident. Jo was grateful for the offer and came to lean heavily on Sheryl's transportation. Over time, Sheryl became a mother figure for Charlotte, encouraging her and listening to her when she needed to vent or process. In a sense, Charlotte had discovered a surrogate Sophie; sadly, Jo was not it.

FF_6295206_ 1/31/2015


	13. Chapter 13 - I Can Hear You

**Charlotte's Web – Chapter 13**

**I Can Hear You**

Autumn had just begun, and nine months had passed since Charlotte came to live with Alex and Jo. Charlotte had just turned 16 and was enjoying her junior year and the new Prius her dad had given her for her birthday. She also enjoyed her frequent morning runs with Alex. Running early in the morning meant nothing had happened yet that day to bring drama into the Karev home. Alex found it to be a great time to connect with Charlotte and to shut the rest of the world away. Being outside running together usually enabled Alex to dispense some insights without sounding too interfering.

A few months prior, the judge had signed the official paperwork, and Charlotte was now Charlotte Sophia Karev. Alex left Jo's official role up to Charlotte. Alex explained that there were two options. The first option: Jo could and was willing to adopt her. Charlotte would be her daughter and Jo would be Charlotte's mother. The second option: Jo could continue to be Charlotte's step-mom, and no legal paperwork would be required. Jo remained in the step-mom role at Charlotte's insistence. Alex thought this was reasonable because Charlotte wouldn't want to replace Sophie. Jo wasn't so sure the choice should have fully been Charlotte's, but she'd learned to choose her battles and to be discerning about which opinions she shared with Alex when it came to Charlotte.

As a junior, Charlotte had discovered quite the social life. She had talked Alex into letting her discontinue piano lessons. That left her more time for sports, friends, and a boyfriend. Now that she was older and had more freedom than she'd had with Sophie, Charlotte rearranged her priorities, seeing sports, friends, and her boyfriend as coming first academics coming second. Alex had agreed to piano being set aside because he was concerned her trend of straight A's would crumble this year with three AP classes: Chemistry, English, and Calculus. Charlotte didn't seem as worried about her grades and college opportunities as her dad.

Charlotte and Matt continued to casually date, seeing one another at the grief group, at practice, and at school. Truth be told, they saw a lot of each other during grief group. Beginning around the time school started, the two only attended the actual group sporadically. Charlotte knew that nobody would open a closed door to a family consultation room, so the two would skip the group and spend time alone in one of the consultation rooms down the hall from the group. Rather than grieving, the two were exploring the wonders of each other's lips. Charlotte hadn't even told Alex about Matt, and the thought of asking Alex if she could go out on an actual date was terrifying.

The tension between Charlotte and Jo ebbed and flowed. Alex was wonderful about stepping in and handling the situation when he was home, but Jo often felt powerless and disrespected without his presence. What had started off in Iowa with such warmth and connection had turned into power struggles and arguing. Alex found that he had to re-emphasize his expectations fairly often and had to be the main parent. All the arguing and strain took a toll on Jo. Jo often caught herself yearning for the days when she and Alex where childless. Sometimes, Jo would stay at the hospital in an on call room just to take a break and escape the tension. Being a step-mom was not an easy endeavor and the last few months had brought tension to her marriage to Alex.

More often than not, Charlotte's bedroom door at home was removed. Slamming her door seemed to be one of her favorite ways to make a statement. Initially, Alex didn't want to mess with all of the rules Sophie had used, but he had found out that many of them made a great deal of sense. When Charlotte's argumentative tendencies ramped up, her mood could sometimes be calmed with a reminder of the potential of having her phone taken away. Recently, he kept her car keys for a week after she exploded and drove off in a huff during an argument she was having Jo. Her iPod was hiding in his dresser due to recent disagreement Charlotte had with Jo about cleaning the kitchen. But overall, Alex felt like electronics rules, grounding, and even imposed bed times were worthless. Charlotte consistently referred to Jo as 'my dad's wife,' and seemed determined to snarl at the mention or presence of her step-mom.

One Tuesday morning, Alex had arranged his surgeries so he could arrive at the hospital later in the day. Charlotte was creating a torso with paper maché organs in her anatomy class and wanted Alex to confirm that she was on the right track. He'd promised to take Charlotte to school and had already rescheduled the trip twice.

Alex and Jo both woke up slowly around 5:30 and began their day in each other's arms. This morning's rendez-vous was especially boisterous, and Jo tried her best to be quiet. The couple laughed as they connected and relieved stress; sex seemed to be one oasis amidst a sea of changes in their life. As the couple cuddled afterward, Alex's pager went off. He reached for it and saw that it was a 911. He called his resident in the NICU and learned that the baby he had operated on the day before was in distress. Based on the symptoms and sats, Alex determined he needed to rush in and operate.

"Crap. The Nelson baby is decompensating. I need to go," Alex explained as he quickly dressed. "Can you take Charlotte to school and look at her project?"

Jo forced a grin as she agreed, "Yeah, sure."

Alex cupped her face in his hand and looked in her eyes, "Maybe this can be the beginning of a turn around, huh? I'm sorry. I know she'll be pissed."

Jo understood. She wasn't mad at Alex, but she was hesitant to fill in for him. Jo smiled softly, "It's ok. Happy to help. Go save a life."

Alex bounded down the stairs and went out the door. Charlotte heard the commotion and called out, "Dad?"

Jo responded from her bed, "Sorry, Charlotte. He has an emergency at the hospital. Looks like I'll be taking you to school."

Charlotte yelled a growl in response and then shouted, "Oh, great. Just great." She hit her pillow and threw a book across the room.

Jo appeared in the undoored doorway and asked, "Was that really necessary?"

Charlotte responded, "Is your presence here right now really necessary?"

Jo took in a breath, determined to remain calm, "Please get up and pick up the book."

Charlotte sneered and said, "I will. In a minute." Jo calculated whether or not they had time for an argument and decided to just head downstairs to get some coffee. This morning's interactions were really no different than any other day. Sometimes Jo simply didn't have the energy to deal with her step-daughter.

Jo came up to remind Charlotte to get moving and asked, "What sounds good for breakfast? French toast? Eggs?"

Charlotte, not moving from her bed, responded, "Nothing."

Jo tried to be compassionate, "I'm sorry. I know I'm no substitute for him in your eyes. He felt really crummy about getting called in today."

Charlotte just looked up at the ceiling. Jo continued to stand in the doorway, leaning against the frame, "You've gotta eat something, Charlotte. I'll make whatever you'd like."

Charlotte continued to stare at the ceiling and said with thick contempt, "I can hear you guys, you know."

Jo was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Charlotte sighed, "When you have sex. When I don't have a door, I have the displeasure of waking up to the two of you cooing and moaning and doing your thing."

Jo rolled her eyes and said with frustration, "Well, maybe you shouldn't get your iPod taken away. If you had it, you could keep it nearby and use it to drown us out. I'm going downstairs to get coffee and make breakfast. You need to be down there by 7, ready to eat."

Jo came upstairs two more times to prompt Charlotte to get out of bed. Eventually, Charlotte said she didn't feel well and would need to stay home. Jo shook her head, "Uh, no. You are fine. Now get ready."

Charlotte argued, "I'll get ready when Dad comes home and keeps his promise to take me to school today and help me with my project."

Jo folded her arms and asked with complete sincerity, "Do you really want to go that route? You think your dad would be delighted to be called back home when he's in the middle of surgery?"

Charlotte said nothing and turned onto her side to face the wall, "I'll get up when he keeps his promise. Now leave me alone."

Jo laughed softly, "Ooookkkay. I'll leave you to your grand plan of digging a hole for yourself. I'm leaving here in 15 minutes with or without you. Be downstairs if you want a ride to school."

Jo went downstairs, put on headphones, turned on her iPod, and cheffed up some breakfast. She was mortified that Charlotte heard them in bed but she wasn't about to let on. Alex would likely be equally mortified.

As she cooked and drank coffee, Jo stared out the window and weighed her options regarding the latest interchange with Charlotte. Her cell phone rang and brought her back to reality. She was thrilled to see that Alex was calling her. "Hey," she answered.

"Hey back," he replied, "it was a quick in and out fix and the baby's going to be fine. Are you guys on the road yet? I could meet you at the school." Jo shared a summary of the argument with Alex, leaving out the part about being overheard during sex. Alex responded, "Oh, crap. Damn her. Jo, I don't know what to do."

Jo tilted her head and sighed, "Neither do I, Alex. Neither do I. What I do know is that I'm exhausted."

Alex grumbled, "I'm on my way home."

Charlotte came down with her hair and makeup looking great, and ready to go exactly at 7:00.

Jo smirked at her and took one headphone out, celebrating, "Great job getting downstairs on time. If we hurry, we could stop at Starbucks on our way in." Charlotte stared into Jo with contempt and responded, "Stop trying to buy my love." Jo closed her eyes and tried to breathe deep as she silently counted to 10. She wasn't about to respond.

Charlotte went over to the pantry and grabbed a granola bar. As Charlotte headed to the fridge, Jo said, "Hey, I made omelets, no need for granola bars." Jo reached out a plate to Charlotte.

Charlotte put her hand up to refuse it, "No thanks."

Jo was beginning to stew, "It isn't an option, Charlotte. There's no need to have a granola bar when there's a perfectly good omelet waiting for you already."

Charlotte just stared at Jo and Jo returned the look. Jo held out the plate again, but Charlotte flipped it from the bottom so the plate and the omelet went tumbling. "Oops," she said flatly as if it had been an accident.

Jo turned to the pan where her own omelet was cooking and said as calmly as she could, "Clean that up please, and then put the granola bar away." Charlotte ignored the instructions, walked over to the bar, and began eating the granola bar.

Jo pursed her lips, "You heard me Charlotte. Enough of the attitude." Charlotte remained at the bar stool looking up at the ceiling.

Jo ate her omelet as Charlotte sat stubbornly, saying nothing. Jo commented, "Your omelet and the plate are still on the floor. Please take care of them."

Charlotte grimaced, looking just like her father. She looked right at Jo and said, "Mmmmm…Nah."

Jo smiled with a hint of contempt and said, "Charlotte, I'm not sure you know how thin the ice is for you. Enough with the sass. Enough with the defiance. This is your final warning."

Charlotte looked at her fingernails as if she didn't have a care in the world. Jo was at her wits end.

Alex came in, slamming the door. Jo jumped from the noise then cringed, thinking, _Hmmm…I wonder where the kid gets it from?_

Alex boomed as he walked into the kitchen, "What the hell is going on, Charlotte?!" Jo sighed internally, not happy to hear Alex screaming. She thought to herself, _You know that doesn't help, Alex. Stop. Slow down._

Charlotte looked at him calmly, explaining, "Ummm…I'm eating a granola bar."

Alex fumed, "That's not what I mean. I finished my surgery, called Jo, and found out you were being a punk. What the hell?"

Charlotte looked at Jo and screamed, "Is that what you called me?! A punk? How _dare _you! What other choice labels do you use when you refer to me?"

Alex yelled back, "That's my word for you right now. Leave her alone. Now listen, Charlotte, I've had it with the fighting and the arguing."

Charlotte locked eyes at him and said with a steely calm, "You know, Dad, you made a promise to me _three_ times. Three. And you broke your promise three times."

Jo looked up at the ceiling wishing she wasn't in the room. Alex walked over to Jo, kissed her cheek, and said, "Good morning."

Jo chuckled, "Oh yeah, it is." Jo motioned down to the omelet and overturned plate on the floor.

Alex rubbed his hand on his face, eventually resting it over his mouth as he thought. He wasn't sure there was anything left that he could take away, so he was challenged to be creative in the moment. Charlotte bravely continued nibbling on the granola bar while Jo just leaned against the counter and avoided eye contact with Charlotte. Charlotte was feeling pretty confident because Alex had no come back to her last statement. They all knew that her statement was 100% accurate.

"Here's the deal," Alex eventually said calmly and firmly, "I'm taking you to school because Jo doesn't deserve being treated like crap. I'm not going to ask my wife to be in that situation any more than I already have this morning. When we arrive at school, I'm just going to drop you off. I'm not coming in – you're on your own with the model. If you have something in the wrong place and you don't get an A, that's on you. And when school gets out, I'll pick you up."

Charlotte leaned toward Alex and whined, "Dad, I have a cross country meet after school today." What she didn't add was that she and Matt had plans to spend time together at the meet.

Alex nodded, "I know. You're not going."

Charlotte roared, "What?! My team is counting on me."

Alex pursed his lips together and shrugged, "Yep. Sucks, doesn't it? Your coach is going to be pissed at you." Alex caught Jo's eye and poured himself some coffee, adding, "Now let's go or you'll be tardy." Charlotte grabbed her bag and headed toward the front door, hoping for a silent ride to school. She glared at Jo as she passed her by.

Once Charlotte was out the door, Jo walked over to Alex and kissed him, saying, "That wasn't easy."

Alex grumbled, "It was no big deal. The part that wasn't easy was not throttling her."

Jo smiled and responded, "I'll see you at the hospital. Lunch? Maybe a meeting in an on call room later?" Alex grinned and nodded then headed to the car.

Alex fumed all the way to the school and gave Charlotte more than one piece of his mind. When they arrived at the school, he pulled into a parking spot instead of dropping her off.

Charlotte, looking straight ahead rather than at Alex, stated, "I thought you weren't coming in."

Alex said, "I'm not, but I need to make a few phone calls before driving to the hospital. I might as well make them from here."

Charlotte asked uncomfortably, "So when Jo told you about our fight, did she tell you about what I overheard?"

Alex shook his head as he checked a text on his phone, "Ummm…no."

"Oh," Charlotte said flatly, wondering why she'd let the question slip through her lips. "Ummm…can I have my phone? You know, in case I need to get a hold of you today?" They both knew the likelihood that she would need to connect with Alex was slim. However, Charlotte also knew that asking for the phone so she could catch up on texts wouldn't help her case at all.

Alex shrugged, "Jo must have it. I don't."

Charlotte sighed heavily and loudly as she reached for the door and began to get out. Alex called to her before she was fully out of the car, hoping they could at least say goodbye on a more positive note, "Spider…" Then a few seconds later, "Charlotte…" Neither received a response. Charlotte simply grabbed the car door, looked in the window as if she was trying to make a point, and very softly closed the car door. Then she turned and walked to class. Alex leaned his head back and said, "Oh, Sophie. What the hell should I do with her?"

Alex arrived at the hospital and experienced a day of mayhem. He and Jo were so swamped at the hospital that they barely saw each other. On a day that chaotic, there was no chance of eating lunch together or catching up in an on call room. Jo came home exhausted and gave in to Charlotte's idea of having drive thru for dinner. They returned to the house, ate, and went to separate areas of the house. By 10pm, both Jo and Charlotte were asleep in bed.

The house was dark and quiet when Alex, having finally finished a long surgery, arrived home at 11:30pm. Alex walked up the stairs and leaned against his bedroom doorway. He cleared his throat loudly and suggestively put forth at normal volume, "Hey, you. Pretty little resident over there, somebody told me you're into attendings."

Jo rolled over and whispered, "Alex…shhhhhh!"

Alex grinned and responded, "Oh, you like it slow and quiet? I can do that or I can do fast and loud, baby. Whatever you want."

Jo widened her eyes, motioned her finger for him to approach, and whispered, "Get over here and be quiet!" She sounded more bossy than seductive, but Alex just rolled with it.

He ran to the bed and jumped on it, landing next to Jo. He bear hugged her and said in a normal volume, "Just come here and attack me. I need sex, and you're great at it."

Charlotte called from her room, obviously disgusted, "Dad… pleeeeaaasseee. You are so beyond gross."

Alex flipped off of Jo and onto his back, whispering, "Oh, shit, she can hear us?"

Jo just smiled and leaned toward his ear, whispering, "So you'd like it slow and quiet then?"

Alex, mortified his daughter had heard him, looked at the ceiling and whispered back, "I don't think I can ever have sex again."


	14. Chapter 14 - Slight of Hand

**Chapter 14**

**Slight of Hand**

Two weeks later, Charlotte was finally free of all the restrictions she had racked up for various instances, arguments, and behaviors. She had a door on her bedroom, a car, a phone, an iPod, and her laptop. She'd accomplished the feat by basically not interacting with Alex and Jo whenever possible. When she did encounter them, she'd say as few words as possible and be quiet but pleasant.

Charlotte had turned her interactions with them into a game, complete with a scorecard. She challenged herself to stay calm when interacting with them and kept score noting number of words (the fewer, the better) and her self-control level. Alex and Jo had no idea about the game, but they were thrilled to have some peace for a couple weeks.

That Friday, Alex allowed Charlotte to go to the football game. He made it crystal clear that she was still earning back his trust. He told her that he expected her back home by midnight and not a minute later. When he tried to hug her as she left for the game, she stood still with her arms to the side while Alex's arms wrapped around her. "No hug for your old man, huh?" he asked trying not to sound as hurt as he was. Charlotte turned as she walked out the door, eager to experience some freedom, "Sorry, Dad. Gotta go."

Predictably, midnight came and went and Charlotte was not home. Alex, waiting for her on the couch, decided he wouldn't be mad if she arrived within the next 15 minutes. 12:15 arrived and Charlotte was still not home. Alex convinced himself he'd cut her slack until 12:30, but that time slid by without Charlotte's return as well. At that point, he texted her, _Are you ok? Supposed to be home 30 mins ago. _Charlotte texted back almost immediately, _Oh geez! I totally lost track of time, Dad. I'm sooooooooo sorry. On my way._

By the time she actually made it home 40 minutes later at 1:10, Alex had reached the stage of steely calm anger. When he heard her car drive up, he jumped off the couch and stood in the doorway. Charlotte came bumbling up the walkway with a huge grin on her face. She came through the door, gave Alex a peck on the cheek, and said with a big smile and a sing-songy voice, "Hi Dad." As she approached him, he could smell pot and alcohol.

Alex put out his hand and said firmly, "Car keys. License. Phone. Now."

Charlotte stood there stunned and still.

Alex gave her about 3 seconds to kick into gear, then asked, "What part of 'now' is confusing, Charlotte Sophia?"

Charlotte began to fumble in her purse for the items, dropping her purse on the ground. She reached down to retrieve it then stumbled a little before standing back up.

Alex said coldly, "Trouble standing?"

Charlotte handed Alex her phone, then the keys. She finally found her license, the last of the 3 items, and smirked as she handed it to Alex, patting his shoulder and saying, "Nah, no trouble. I'm good."

Charlotte sauntered toward the kitchen to get a snack, mumbling as she imitated Alex's voice, _"Oh, Spider, I'm so glad you're safe. I was worried about you, my darling daughter."_

Alex leaned against the doorway, rolled his eyes and happened to catch sight of Jo standing at the top of the stairs. Jo smiled softly at him and asked, "Do you want to slap some sense into her or should I?"

Alex huffed, "Yeah, pretty much."

Jo suggested with a grin as she joked, "Well, let's just take turns."

Alex laughed and said, "I'll be up in a minute. She's drunk and high – I'm going to make sure she gets to bed so she can rest up before I kill her tomorrow."

At 6:00am, Alex forced himself out of bed even though he'd had less than 5 hours of sleep. He was determined to wake Charlotte up, thinking that running with a hangover would be a good lesson. He knocked on Charlotte's door, bellowing, "C'mon, Spider, time to run." Charlotte didn't respond at all.

Alex knocked loudly on her door, demanding, "Charlotte, get up. We're going for a run." Alex heard her groan, but no verbal response followed.

He opened her door, walked to her bed and shook her awake. "Get your ass out of bed, Charlotte. We're running this morning."

Charlotte rolled over and looked at Alex with sunken, bloodshot, hung over eyes. She was pale and looked horrible. Alex wanted to smile because this was exactly what he was hoping he'd see. He folded his arms and said again, "Let's go." Charlotte sat up slowly, then jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to throw up.

Alex popped his head into his bedroom, telling Jo, "I'm going for a run. Charlotte's puking in the bathroom. You can leave her to her own devices."

Alex came back awhile later and took a shower. He leaned down to kiss Jo before he left for the hospital, whispering his inquiry, "Has she made it back to her bedroom?"

Jo looked at him sleepily and said, "No. I think the cold bathroom tile is her best friend right now. She's thrown up a ton."

Alex shrugged and said, "Good. At least we know she won't be trying to sneak out today. I'll see you tonight." With that, he kissed his wife again and headed down the stairs and to the hospital.

After dragging his exhausted body through his post-op rounds, Alex made his way to the attendings' lounge. Meredith was sitting at the table eating a yogurt and reading a medical journal. Arizona was reviewing a patient file. Alex entered the room growling, then yawning. He flopped onto the couch and immediately closed his eyes, stating, "I hate teenage girls."

Meredith sighed with false pity, "Oh, Alex, your experience the last few months has not helped me anticipate Zola's teen years. What has she done now?"

Alex explained the broken curfew, the alcohol and drug smells on her clothes, and her obvious drunkenness at 1 am, "So I woke her up at 6am, telling her to get ready for a run. Instead of running our outside route, she ran to the bathroom and started hurling."

Arizona piped in, "You woke her up at 6 am to go running?! You're mean!"

Alex shrugged, "Well I figured I'd make sure she had plenty of time to experience her first hangover." Bailey walked in as Alex spoke, but did not enter the conversation.

Meredith interjected, "Wow, I'm glad I'm not your daughter. Maybe it's a good thing my dad was absent most of my life. Did you at least get her a hair tie or some water before you left."

Alex scoffed, "Hell no, and I told Jo not to fawn over her either."

Arizona walked over to Alex and sat down. She patted his knee and said, "Don't let her see you sweat, Alex. She's testing you."

Meredith asked, "What do you think, Bailey?"

Bailey turned and scanned the room as she said flatly, "I think watching Karev deal with a teenage daughter is the best karma ever." She looked at Alex and said, "And I thought you were a pain in the ass as an intern. I don't envy you at all, Karev. That girl is giving you a run for your money."

Alex groaned, "Yep...karma's a bigger bitch than I ever expected."

Meanwhile, Jo was seriously worried about Charlotte becoming dehydrated. She went into the bathroom with all the best hangover tools: water, ginger ale, a cool washcloth, applesauce, a pillow, a blanket, and a hair tie. She knocked lightly on the bathroom door and then walked in. As Jo had predicted earlier, Charlotte was laying on the tile floor.

She looked up at Jo and groaned, "Can you just kill me now?"

Jo lay down next to her and brushed her hair before putting it in a ponytail. Jo stroked Charlotte's head and said gently, "Oh, Charlotte, it feels really horrible, doesn't it?" Charlotte nodded her head as Jo covered her with a blanket. Jo held up Charlotte's head and slipped a pillow under it, asking, "Do you think you could keep down some applesauce?"

Charlotte looked like she was going to throw up again, but didn't, then said, "No."

Jo inquired, "Water or ginger ale?"

Charlotte sat up and tried some water. She went back to her pillow, but she sat up almost immediately. Her hung over body was even rejecting water. Jo wiped Charlotte's face with the washcloth. Charlotte squeaked out a meager but heartfelt, "Oh, thank you, Jo."

Jo looked at Charlotte with compassion as she continued to stroke Charlotte's forehead and cheek. "You'll feel much better if you brush your teeth. Really. I've been there."

Charlotte took up Jo's suggestion and then melted back down on the cold tile, mumbling, "Yep. Better."

Jo sat next to Charlotte simply watching her and thinking about how rotten Charlotte must be feeling. Sensing Jo's gaze, Charlotte weakly opened her eyes and looked at Jo, observing, "You are being so nice to me and all I ever do is treat you like crap. Thanks for being so kind."

Jo's eyes filled with tears and stroked Charlotte's arm divulging, "I've been where you are and I care about you."

Jo continued to sit with Charlotte as she alternated from laying down to throwing up. Jo became more and more concerned about possible dehydration, finally declaring, "I'm going to get you some fluids."

Charlotte shook her head, unsure what 'getting fluids' meant. Charlotte's concern was that she would have to move, and she wasn't about to move any more than she had to move.

Jo left the bathroom and went to grab her cell phone. She called Stephanie, knowing Steph was at the hospital. When Steph answered, Jo explained the situation and asked, "Is there any way you can bring a banana bag over?"

Steph felt bad for Charlotte, even though the girl put Jo through hell on a regular basis. Stephanie praised her best friend, "You are so kind to tend to her. My parents would have let me suffer."

Jo shared, "Well, that was Alex's approach too, but she's so dehydrated and weak. I'm not sure how much she drank, but the poor kid has been throwing up since 6 am."

A few minutes later, Steph arrived with the liquids. She explained, "I only have a few minutes before they'll realize I'm not at the hospital. Do you want to stick her or shall I?"

Jo nodded, "Why don't you? I'll be there for moral support." The two headed up the stairs and found Charlotte losing it again.

Charlotte moaned, "I'm too tired to even barf."

Stephanie went over to her and said, "I've got something that will help tremendously. The only catch is that I'll need to put a needle in your hand. Before I do, you need to agree to that."

Charlotte said nothing and weakly held up her hand. Jo scooted in and placed Charlotte's hand on her knee, reassuring Charlotte, "Stephanie is so smooth with a needle that you won't even feel it."

Stephanie inserted the needle and excused herself so she could return to the hospital. Jo hung the bag on a shower curtain ring then lay down next to Charlotte. Charlotte even let Jo hold her as the fluids began to work their magic.

By the time Alex returned home around 6pm, Charlotte was tired but feeling human again. Alex came through the front door, and Jo called out, "In the kitchen."

He walked in and wrapped himself around her, saying softly, "Hey, lady, are you free tonight? Looking for a good time?"

Jo giggled and said, "Well, actually, I'm very expensive, but I'm _always _looking for a good time." Alex grinned and kissed her. He guided her to the couch where they lay together making out and heading toward more. Jo paused and said, "C'mon, Alex, not in here. Charlotte's home."

Alex swept Jo's hair behind her ear and asked, "So how's the drunk?"

"She's feeling much better. I was able to get her rehydrated and she ate some toast, eggs, and applesauce. She's up in her bed sleeping," Jo told him. Jo had removed the IV about an hour before Alex arrived. She intentionally neglected to mention it to him, concerned the topic would only lead to a fight.

Alex kissed Jo once more and groaned, "Ok…I need to drag my exhausted ass up there and be a dad."

Jo grinned and suggested, "Don't you think the hangover was punishment enough? It was a really bad one."

Alex wrinkled his brow and said with distain, "Absolutely not. She drove home, Jo. And she was over an hour late. God knows what else she was up to."

Jo clasped Alex's face in her hands and proposed, "When you talk to her, don't yell. Please. Ok? For me? Give me that much?"

Alex rolled his eyes, kissed her, and grumbled agreement as he made his way upstairs. He knocked on Charlotte's door, "Hey. It's Dad."

Charlotte said sleepily, "C'mon in."

Alex looked at her and observed, "You look like crap."

Charlotte laughed weakly, "Thanks. So do you."

Alex chuckled, "So…we both know you're in a load of trouble." Charlotte kept her head on the pillow but maintained eye contact as she nodded. Alex stated his expectations, "First, I want you to fess up. Tell me what happened last night. If you remember, that is."

Charlotte said softly, "After the game, a bunch of us went to pizza and hung out. Marcy told us that Jason's parents were out of town and that he had invited us over. He just lives about 4-5 blocks from here. He had beer and some pot. Some of the people smoked. I didn't, I swear. I did drink – I'm not going to lie."

Alex kept a poker face, amazed she was fessing up, and added sternly, "and then drove home."

Charlotte shook her head, "No, I didn't drive."

Alex raised his eyebrows, "Spider, I heard your car pull up and it was in its spot this morning. Don't lie."

Charlotte said, "I'm not lying. Mark drove my car home and then he and Ali walked back to the party. He was sober. I swear, Dad. Mark doesn't drink and I didn't drive drunk."

Alex grimaced and requested, "How can you prove that?"

Tears began to pool in Charlotte's eyes, "I'm not sure, but I'm telling the truth. I dunno….maybe Mark would be willing to come over and tell you? All I know is that he takes some kind of medication that can't mix with alcohol – anbine or anbean or something like that."

Alex knew she probably meant Ambien, but he didn't want to make it too easy. He asked Charlotte, ""Do you know why he takes it?"

Charlotte said, "I think it has something to do with his sleep."

Alex asked, "What did you call it?"

Charlotte answered, "I can't remember how to say it. It's something like an-bean or ambu-len or amble-bine. Some weird medicine name."

Alex raised his eyebrows and offered, "Ambien?"

Charlotte said, "That sounds familiar. Yeah."

Alex met her eyes and held his gaze for an uncomfortable minute, finally stating, "Well, that can be lethal when mixed with alcohol. He's really smart to not drink. How tall is he?"

Charlotte looked at Alex and was completely befuddled. "He's the center on the basketball team. I'm not sure how tall, but taller than you for sure. Probably taller than Dr. Avery. Why?"

Alex said, "Well, let me go see where the driver's seat is set. If it's where you normally have it, you're busted." Charlotte just closed her eyes and prayed that Mark had left the seat where he'd moved it to before driving her home.

Alex walked downstairs and suggested to Jo, "Hey, follow me out to Charlotte's car."

Jo went, unsure why she was doing so, expressing her confusion, "Uh…ok."

Alex unlocked the car and said, "Can you get in and see if the seat is in the right place for you?"

Jo looked at Alex like he was crazy but began to climb into the car. As she settled into the driver's seat, she asked, "How in the world could she possibly drive from this far back? I can't even come close to the pedals." Jo reached down and grabbed a piece of paper that was next to her on the seat.

Alex exhaled with deep relief, explaining, "That means her story checks out. She told me the center of the basketball team drove the car home." He reached for the paper in Jo's hand and looked at it. There was writing on it that certainly wasn't Charlotte's handwriting.

Jo thought aloud, "So he drove the car home. That doesn't prove he was sober."

Alex explained that the kid took Ambien and how Charlotte talked about it. He was convinced she wasn't making it up – she was smart enough to have her research done if she was going to create a cover story for her plight.

Alex made his way back up the stairs, declaring to his daughter, "I believe you didn't drive home. I'm glad you had someone else drive last night, even though you've been told not to let anyone else drive your car. That was the one smart action you took last night." Alex continued, "So….you drank, you were _very _late, it took you 40 minutes to get home from 4-5 blocks away after you texted me back saying you were on your way, and you may or may not have smoked pot. Right?"

Charlotte murmured, "Yes."

Alex looked at her with a no nonsense stare, "Not just, 'yes', Charlotte. Let's hear you say it."

Charlotte, disheartened and intimidated, confessed, "I drank, I was _really_ late, I went to a party. I'm busted."

Alex frowned, announcing, "Here's the plan: I brought home a drug test, so do that and we'll go from there on the pot. For the rest of it: No car, no phone – even during school, internet only for homework, and grounded until two weeks from tomorrow. That way, you're missing out on two weekends. I want you to come to the hospital after practice if I'm working. I'll set you up somewhere to do homework. No being home alone. Jo or I will come get you after practice. Any lip or arguments during the next two weeks, and I'm telling your coach about the drinking."

Charlotte knew that the punishment could be worse, so she just nodded. If he told her coach, she'd be kicked off the cross country team. Charlotte was pretty shocked he'd consider telling the coach, but she wasn't about to call his bluff. She asked for clarification, "What about Tuesday night? I'm supposed to babysit for Dr. Robbins."

Alex answered, "Let me figure that out. I'll let you know." Alex paused, "I just thought of something else. I'm going to volunteer to take someone's shift in the ER next Saturday night. You'll come with me so you can see exactly why drinking is an issue."

That Monday just after lunch, Alex called the school and left a message for Charlotte to call him before school ended. A few minutes later, Charlotte called from the school phone, "Hey, Dad, what's up?"

Karev finished explaining something to his resident and then turned his attention to Charlotte, "Yeah, hi Spider. We're in a pinch. Both Jo and I are going into a surgery and neither surgery will be done in time to pick you up from school."

There was no practice that day and Charlotte saw the perfect opportunity to spend some time with Matt, "Well, I have a friend who goes right by the hospital to get home. Want me to try that option?"

Alex breathed a sigh of relief, "That'd be good. If that doesn't work, call me back. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume you'll be at the hospital within 30 minutes of the last bell. You can do your homework in the med library, ok? And page me when you arrive here."

After school, Matt took Charlotte to the hospital. He drove up to the main entrance and touched her arm lightly as she began to get out, "Charlotte, wait."

"Ok," Charlotte responded.

Matt looked at her and grinned, "I've been thinking. Umm…I know we haven't really gone out on a real date, but we're a couple, right?"

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat and her body was tingling with joy, she eagerly responded, "Yes."

"Well," Matt nervously continued, "I'd love it if you'd go to the homecoming dance with me."

She filled with joy and beamed, affirming with an ear to ear smile, "I'd love that too." Charlotte was unsure how she'd discuss the invitation with Alex and disclosed, "I'll… ummm…. I'll have to ask my dad, but today's not a good day to ask him." She knew she wouldn't mention it today because she needed her dad to sign something by 5pm so she could get it to her teacher. Alex would not be in a good mood about that. Asking about homecoming could wait for another day. Charlotte concluded, "But I will ask him soon. It's just that he's kind of strict. We'll see what he says."

Matt nodded, "I know. I can come meet him or something if that would help."

Charlotte and her starry eyes leaned over to Matt. She kissed him, then he kissed her. They made out in the car celebrating their potential date and saying their goodbyes. Matt's hand slipped under her shirt and undid her bra. Charlotte, a little more tentative, slid her hand over the front of Matt's jeans. Somehow, they both managed to kiss and smile simultaneously.

At the same time, April and Jackson were approaching the hospital doors, and April happened to recognize Matt's blue Mustang. She playfully knocked on the hood as they walked by. Charlotte and Matt quickly separated and Matt moved his hand out from under Charlotte's shirt. The teens tried to look innocent and quickly smiled and waved. April and Jackson waved back and kept walking.

April turned to Jackson and said, "Did I…Did I just see what I think I saw?"

Jackson said, "Well, looked like Matt was discovered 2nd base to me. I couldn't see where Charlotte's hands were." April groaned and shook her head in disappointment.

Back in Matt's car, Charlotte lamented as she adjusted her bra and shirt, "Oh great. I hope they don't tell my dad. I'm dead, beyond dead. My dad is going to have litters upon litters of kittens. Oh crap."

Matt put his hand on her shoulder and reassured her, "Babe, they didn't see anything. Don't worry." Matt gave her a peck on the cheek, desperately wishing they hadn't been interrupted.

Charlotte smiled with starry eyes and said, "See you tonight at grief group?"

Matt nodded and smiled, "Can't wait. Meet in the consultation room?"

Charlotte nodded and beamed. She felt like she was walking on a cloud as she entered the hospital. In the main lobby, she hoped to approach April and Jackson, enter into casual conversation and try to somehow find out what they might have seen. She scanned and tried to spot them. Not seeing them, she approached the nurses' station and asked the receptionist, "Could you please page Dr. Alex Karev and tell him Charlotte is here?"

Alex was in surgery and asked the nurse to read him the text when the tone sounded. "Can you page the other Dr. Karev and see if she can handle that? I'm elbow deep in this baby and not at a good stopping point."

Jo was leaning back against the wall in the MRI control room with her eyes closed. She was trying to rejuvenate while she awaited results of a patient's MRI. Her pager sounded and the page read,_ Please go to main lobby re Charlotte asap. Can't step out of my surgery. _Jo looked down and dropped the f-bomb, turned to the tech and said, "Can you page me when you're done?" The tech nodded and went back to his work.

Taking the 'asap' portion of the text seriously, Jo rushed to the main lobby. She saw Charlotte sitting in the chairs watching the overhead TV. "Are you ok? What's up?" Jo asked anxiously.

Charlotte turned to Jo, looked deeply disappointed, and stated, "I paged Dad."

"Well," Jo offered, "your dad is in surgery and will be for quite a while. It's me or nobody."

"I need Dad to sign something that's due by 5pm today. My teacher said if I got his signature by 5, I could take a picture and text it to her and then turn in the paper tomorrow," Charlotte explained. Alex was the only one who could sign forms and papers for school. Alex and Jo came up with that plan because Jo's signature, with practice, would be too easy to forge.

Jo grumbled, "Dammit, Charlotte. I just left a patient to rush down here for you. My page said I needed to see you asap."

Charlotte offered defensively, "I didn't page you. I paged Dad. Not my bad, Jo."

Jo sighed audibly and said, "Well, I'll see what I can do about the signature. I'll pop my head into his OR and see how he wants to handle this." Jo reached into her pocket, "Oh, here," she said handing Charlotte's phone to her, "This will make it easier for your dad to get a hold of you."

Charlotte smiled at Jo like a cat that ate a canary, "Thanks." She thought, _Ha! Having me here at the hospital will make it pretty tough for you two to hold onto my phone. Score!_

Jo walked to the OR, grabbed a mask and entered. Alex looked up briefly and asked, "Everything ok?"

Jo explained, "She needs you, not me."

Alex laughed without removing his gaze from his patient, "She probably wants to try to charm me so she can get her phone and her car back. Not gonna happen."

Jo shared, "I gave her the phone so you can touch base more easily. She's in the lobby and has something that must be signed by 5pm. I couldn't help with that, which frustrated both of us."

Alex leaned in closer to the baby on the table, "I need more suction in the right upper quadrant." He looked back at Jo, "Ok. I'll be another hour or so, then Dr. Murray here can close." Dr. Murray, Alex's resident, was as thrilled with that news as Jo was angry about being interrupted because Alex couldn't deal with Charlotte.

Jo's pager sounded and she looked at it, "Ok – I gotta go. I'm tied up the rest of the afternoon. She's all yours."

Alex called out, "Thanks for your help, Dr. Karev. I owe you one." Jo just shook her head and left the OR.

Arizona walked by the main lobby and spotted Charlotte glued to the TV. She sat down next to her and asked, "Anything good on?"

Charlotte smiled broadly, "Hi Dr. Robbins. No, there isn't. This TV is showing Dora the Explorer, and I'm not sure how to change the channel."

Arizona patted Charlotte's arm reassuringly and inquired, "So how's life?"

Charlotte looked at her suspiciously, "Did my dad ask you to ask me that?"

Arizona laughed, "No, Charlotte. I'm sincerely interested. Let's go grab a snack. My treat."

Charlotte agreed, remembering that her dad was going to be awhile anyway and could call her when he was done with surgery. The two sat down at a table and Charlotte complained, "I just can't seem to stay out of trouble."

Arizona smiled, "What now? Grounded again? No car? Phone?"

Charlotte shared her perspective of the weekend's hangover, how she was grounded "for life," and how she had a Chem test Alex needed to sign by 5pm. Then, Charlotte smiled and shared her big news, "But here's the highlight of my entire life."

Arizona interrupted, "Entire life? Oh, this is going to be great." Arizona radiated with anticipation.

Charlotte shared, "Well, my boyfriend, Matt – I've told you about him before, right?" Arizona nodded and continued to smile. "He asked me to homecoming today, so I guess the date helps even things out."

Arizona giggled and patted Charlotte on the back, "That's great, Spider! Oh my gosh! You're first date!"

Charlotte widened her eyes and looked at Arizona, "Shhhhh…everyone doesn't need to know, Arizona."

Arizona beamed as she lowered her voice, "I'm sorry. I'm just so excited for you. What are you going to wear? Do you have a dress? Hair up or down?"

Charlotte began to look overwhelmed, "I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

Reassuringly, Arizona explained, "Well, I'm sure Jo would love to help you figure all that out. She always looks great at fancy events. How are you two doing? Is it better?"

Charlotte nodded, "Actually, she was beyond nice when I was hung over. Like, way too nice. Like, I don't deserve her to be that nice to me."

Arizona looked both happy and sad, tilting her head and insisting, "You might not want to hear this from me, Spider, but she _is _your step-mom. I know beyond a doubt that she loves you."

Charlotte smiled softly, "I think you're right. I'm really going to try to get a long with her. I still can't believe how nice she was to me on Saturday."

Arizona gazed at Charlotte, the teen she had come to simply adore. "Now you said something about a Chem test? Does your teacher require every test to be signed by a parent? How does that work?"

Charlotte explained, "No. Only the ones under 50%."

Arizona looked concerned, "Uh oh. How'd you do?"

"23%," Charlotte shared. "It's a true, complete F. Dad's going to kill me."

"No, he won't kill you," Arizona assured, "He will flip out, grumble, and yell. He will try to tutor you and become impatient. He will say something about how important your grades are for your future, but he's _not_ going to kill you. Besides, how many doctors do you know? We can help you survive Chem. I'd be happy to help, but I've also heard that Dr. Avery's undergrad is in Chemistry. You should ask him for help."

Charlotte smiled and thanked Arizona, and then Arizona offered, "How about if you come with me to the NICU and I can show you why Chemistry is actually a worthwhile class for real life?" When they arrived in the NICU, Arizona gave Charlotte a pair of scrubs and then showed her how to gown up before they went into the NICU to interact with the babies and equipment. Once in the proper attire, Charlotte began to receive an enthusiastic lesson in how chemistry was useful in treating preemies. After about 10 minutes, they were interrupted when Arizona received by a page to the OR.

Meanwhile, Alex continued his surgery. "Dammit!" he yelled. "Vessel just ruptured. I need another set of hands in here STAT. Clamp! Page Robbins. Suction! Murray, examine the field. More suction!" Alex scurried to isolate the vessel as he and Murray worked methodically but quickly.

Arizona appeared in the scrub area after a few minutes. She spoke using the intercom as she prepared for surgery, "What's up, Karev?"

Without breaking his concentration, he kept his gaze on the baby and described the quandary, "I need you in here. Vessel ruptured. One side is clamped, other side bleeding out God knows where. We can't find it."

Arizona had encouraged Charlotte to follow her into the scrub room. She turned to Charlotte and asked, "Has your dad ever let you watch a surgery in the OR? Do you want to follow me in?"

Charlotte looked into the OR in amazement, "I've never gone in, but I'd like to if it's ok."

Arizona put a mask on Charlotte and giggled at the sight. Then she finished scrubbing and explained where Charlotte needed to stand while she was in the OR. The two walked in as Arizona explained, "I hope you don't mind, Dad, I let a future nurse come with me. She knows exactly where to stand and is already in place."

Alex looked up very quickly, but recognized the girl behind the mask as she waved at him. He immediately went back to searching for the vein as he ordered in his doctor voice, "Charlotte, you can only stay if you aren't going to puke. I don't want to have to smell barf while I'm dealing with this surgery."

Charlotte was incredibly embarrassed but said, "I'm good, Dad. No worries." She was astonished to watch her dad at work on a tiny baby. He obviously knew what he was doing, but it all looked so complicated to Charlotte.

Arizona groaned, "Nice, Alex. That was classy."

Alex was tense under the pressure and snapped, "Yeah, whatever. I hope you brought some sticky gloves, Robbins. Grabbing that vein is all you should be worried about." Then Alex turned to Murray, "Murray, suction over here and to the left. I'm moving about 1 cm toward the shoulder." Alex continued to work as he asked the nurse, "What's the BP? Heart rate?" Charlotte continued to be fascinated as she observed Alex as a doctor and surgeon. He sort of acted like the angry version of her dad but didn't yell as loud and seemed much more confident and clear in his role.

After another three minutes of three surgeons all searching, Alex smiled under his mask and proclaimed, "Got it!" He clamped the vessel and gently pulled it just above the level of the incision.

Arizona reached in to assist. Her voice celebrated, "Yes, you did. Nice work, Karev. I can repair it and close. Why don't you go be with your daughter?"

Alex responded, "I told Murray he could close this one, but, yeah, you can repair the vessel." Alex stepped away from the baby, but paused and leaned down by its head before walking away. He walked toward the door, threw his gown and gloves in the bin, and stated with authority, "This way, Charlotte. Throw your mask and gown in there and follow me."

As he walked over to the sinks, he taught Charlotte how to scrub out step-by-step. She mimicked each move, interested in Alex's explanations. Arizona was touched as she saw the two of them, thinking to herself _Jo would be capturing this precious moment on her iPhone if she was here_. As they dried their hands, Alex asked, "So what's up? You need me to sign something?"

Charlotte answered in stunned amazement, "Dad…that was so cool. How can you find and sew up something so tiny? When I saw the tubey thing you pulled out with those tweezery-scissor things you were holding, I couldn't believe how small it was."

Alex grinned, "Vessel, not tubey thing. Mosquito forceps, not tweezery-scissor things."

Charlotte said, "Ok. When I saw the vessel in the mosquito forceps, I thought it was kind of a trip."

"Yeah," Alex smiled as he fixed his gaze on his beloved daughter, then he shifted the topic, "Listen. I'm hungry and I was in there 4 hours. I've gotta pee, then let's go eat."

Charlotte looked embarrassed even though nobody else was in the room, "Thanks for sharing, Dad." Alex just shrugged his shoulders and headed to the hall.

A few minutes later, they entered the cafeteria, gathered up some food, and found a table. Alex began, "So you needed me to sign something? That school is worse than a drug seeker asking for more scrips. Seems like I'm constantly signing something for them."

Charlotte grabbed her bag and began looking for the test as Alex added, "Jo said you weren't particularly friendly when she tried to help. You really need to cut her some slack, Charlotte."

Charlotte explained, "It wasn't about her, Dad. I was frustrated. You're the only one who can sign school papers. If she could have signed them, it would've been fine. I wasn't mad at her."

Alex took a bite of his sandwich, "Still. _Just be nice, _ok? This crap has gone on long enough. We're all sick of it. Now what do I need to sign?"

Charlotte reluctantly located the paper and held it in her hand. Keeping the conversation focused on Jo, Charlotte hoped that Alex would sign the test absent-mindedly, "Here it is. But, really, I wasn't trying to be rude. I'll apologize to her tonight, I promise. I was just frustrated about being stuck here for hours and hours."

Alex looked at Charlotte, saying sarcastically, "Oh, yeah, that's right. Some bastard took your car away."

Hoping to keep him focused on anything other than her test, Charlotte asked, "So when that vessel burst, how did you even know where to start looking for it? I mean, do they squirm all around like an out of control hose?"

Alex looked at her and took another bite of his sandwich, then laughed softly, "Nice try."

Charlotte tried to look innocent and naïve as she gently insisted, "I'm really asking."

Alex insisted as his voice became more stern, "So am I. What do I need to sign? Fess up, sister, I'm on to you."

Charlotte sighed and tried to soften the upcoming blow, "I really do wonder about the vessel, but, anyway… don't flip out, Dad. I'm not the only one in my class who needs a parent signature."

Alex raised his eyebrows and held out his hand. Charlotte involuntarily winced as she handed him the test. Alex looked at the score and said, "Crap. That sucks, huh?"

Charlotte responded, "I know, right? I _did _study, I swear. I just don't get this stuff – it's too hard and complicated."

Alex signed it and then suggested, "Let's make a copy of it and we'll go through each question step by step. You'll have plenty of time to catch on since you'll be coming here every day after practice, not just until you're not grounded, but until I'm convinced you know this stuff inside and out."

Charlotte was crestfallen and expressed it as she looked at her dad.

Alex laughed, "It's either that or Jo and I take turns beating you."

"Very funny, Dad. You're hilarious," Charlotte dryly responded.


	15. Chapter 15 - Time to Talk

**Chapter 15**

**Time to Talk**

After two months of hell on both the work and family front, Alex scaled back on his surgical load. Fewer surgeries meant more time at home and less stress for Jo. The schedule was only a temporary fix, but at least it would give everyone a chance to breathe.

After two weeks without her car and without any life except school, grief group, church, and cross country, Charlotte was about to once again regain her freedom. Little did Alex know that allowing grief group and church the last two weeks provided Charlotte plenty of time with her boyfriend, Matt. Alex had yet to learn about Matt, let alone to realize all the places Matt and Charlotte saw one another.

As she transitioned from all sorts of consequences and toward a renewed freedom, Charlotte became more and more agreeable and pleasant. Alex had begun to notice a mysterious shift in how Charlotte treated Jo. He was afraid he'd jinx the change if he said anything, so he just kept observing their interactions. Since the night when she came home stumbling drunk, the kid seemed to have had an epiphany that her step-mom wasn't so bad after all.

One night, Charlotte kept trying to catch Alex's eye as they ate dinner. He noticed it but anytime he asked, "What?" Charlotte shied away and dismissed her non-verbal inquiries.

Jo was preparing for a big surgery the next day and seemed preoccupied. Charlotte asked her, "What kind of surgery do you have tomorrow?" Alex was shocked to see Charlotte take any interest in Jo and Jo's work. He thought to himself, _Tell me this is going to last, tell me the bitch wars are finished, please._

Jo answered proudly with a gentle smile, "I'm not sure that's good dinner conversation, but I am going to be assisting on an intestinal obstruction. The baby has what's called a 'hypoplastic left colon.'"

Alex asked, "How high is the obstruction?"

Jo explained, "We won't be exactly sure until we get in there, but it appears to be pretty high. The baby is vomiting a lot and isn't distended."

Charlotte interjected with a laugh, "Umm…yeah, perhaps colons and barfing aren't great topics while we're eating. Sorry I asked."

Jo laughed in response while Alex continued as he put a huge bite of food in his mouth, "Is the baby passing meconium?"

Jo tilted her head and smiled at her husband, "Yes, but I think Charlotte might want to eat without those details."

Alex raised his eyebrows and explained, "I was just wondering. Robbins will leave you to deal with the post-op observation. Whatever you do, make sure you watch fluid replacement levels and indications. You might need a fluid bolus in the first 48 hours – tough to regain the hydration. Watch for hypotension and hypoperfusion."

Jo looked relieved and jotted down Alex's advice, "Thanks, Alex."

Charlotte was softly gazing at Alex again. Sensing it, Alex looked at her again and asked, "What?!"

Charlotte shook her head vacantly, "Nothing, Dad. Nothing."

Jo shooed Alex and Charlotte out of the kitchen when they were finished eating because she needed a quiet place to study. Charlotte began to head toward her room, worried Alex might suggest they study Chemistry. Avery helped Alex write out a test for Charlotte when her teacher refused to let her take the test again at school. Alex had insisted she needed to pass his test regardless of what the teacher allowed. Charlotte had retaken the test with Alex as her proctor just before dinner and was pretty sure she had done well. Just the same, she wouldn't be surprised if he still wanted to quiz her on the material.

Instead, much to her surprise, Alex suggested to Charlotte that they sit outside in the porch swing after dinner. The evening air was unseasonably warm. Being outside where they were together yet not facing each other provided the perfect opportunity for a father-daughter chat. They swung for a few minutes in silence, then Alex asked, "So…how are things going, Spider?" Alex gently placed a blanket on Charlotte's lap as he asked.

Charlotte lost her gaze in some nearby flowers that were trying to hang on after each night's frost. She replied, "Pretty good. I love my school." She giggled as she added, "I _love _my car and can't wait to get it back tomorrow. And, you know, my step-mom is ok and my dad is pretty cool too. You should meet my dad sometime – he's _mostly_ a nice guy, but _man _is he strict."

Alex chuckled, "Yeah, I've got this beautiful daughter. I'll have to introduce you to her if she ever keeps herself out of trouble. She's _really lucky _because she looks _a lot_ like me. I kinda like having her around, especially when she stays in line."

Charlotte looked over to her dad and grinned, she scooted closer and rested her head on Alex's shoulder. "I'm really glad you found that grief group at the hospital. It's nice to have some friends who really understand me," she said softly.

Alex paused as he put his arm around his daughter. They swung a little in silence before Alex clarified with a soft laugh, "You know that Jo found out about that group? She looked all over the city before finding out Sloan Grey had a teen group right under our nose."

Charlotte simply responded, "Hmmm…I thought you'd found the group since you'd given me the information on it." She was surprised to find out that Jo had gone to such lengths for her.

Alex responded, "No, we just thought you might consider the group if I suggested it." The silence returned as the swing kept its back and forth routine.

After a few minutes, Charlotte offered, "I've got a boyfriend, Dad. His name is Matt."

Alex used every bit of self-control to not react. He wanted to stop the swing, jump up, and scream "Noooooo!" but he knew that would only bring the conversation to an abrupt end. Instead, he took a swig of beer and simply stated, "Oh? Whatta you know."

Charlotte continued, "He's amazing. I met him in the grief group – his dad died last year in a horrible car accident. Matt joined the group just before I did. I tried not to stare at him, because, oh, Dad, he is so cute. Then sometimes, I'd catch him looking at me and he'd catch me looking at him. Finally, one night when Jo was running late to pick me up, I was sitting in the lobby. He came over and introduced himself while we waited for our rides."

Alex took another swig of beer and said sarcastically, "I'm telling Jo she can _never _be late again." Charlotte laughed but said nothing more as they rocked. Alex broke the silence, asking gently, "So how long has he been your boyfriend?"

Charlotte looked down at her hands as they were resting on her lap, "Since the summer."

Alex responded with surprise, "Really? How'd you hide it from us all this time? _Why _did you hide it?"

Charlotte explained, "Well, I haven't really been trying to hide it. It's just been kind of casual. We haven't gone out on a big fancy date or anything. He's on the team, so we see each other at practice. Sometimes he gives me a ride home if you guys are both working. When school started, we realized we went to the same school when we ran into each other in the hall. We eat lunch together at school, too. That's really all. It's been kind of hard to figure out when to say something to you."

Alex tried to be very blasé as he inquired, "So when we're at work, he comes over?"

Charlotte shook her head as it continued to rest on her dad's upper arm and shoulder, "No. Can he?"

Alex took a swig of beer and said strongly but with a laugh, "No!"

Charlotte responded, "That's pretty much what I thought. We have sat on the front steps a few times and talked, but he's never come inside."

Alex nodded, "Good for you, Spider. Teenage boys are dangerous – I used to be one, I know."

Charlotte just kept swinging, relieved that she'd told her dad about Matt. Matt wanted to take her out on real dates, and she wanted to go on real dates. She was testing the waters to see how Alex would react to the news that she had a boyfriend before asking him if Matt could take her to homecoming. She knew she'd have to move mountains before Alex would go for that. She added, "He and his mom go to Dr. Kepner's church, Dad. He's a good kid. He's not dangerous."

Alex declared, "All teen age boys are dangerous. Don't be fooled. How do you know he goes to April's church?"

Charlotte was puzzled, "Ummm…because she takes me to church most Sundays. Didn't you know that?"

Alex shook his head, "No. How didn't I know that? Hmmm."

Charlotte explained, "Because you usually sleep in on Sundays. Jo knows I go to church. I guess the topic just never came up."

The silence hung in the air as Alex thought that he should swing on the porch swing with his daughter more often. In the span of just a little time, he'd found out all sorts of information about her life. Alex asked Charlotte, "Would your mom like Matt?"

Charlotte nuzzled into Alex a little more, answering softly, "Yeah, she would've grilled him and come close to scaring him away. But if that didn't work, I think she would have really liked him." Charlotte paused before adding, "I miss her so much, Dad. I miss her so much that it hurts."

Alex tightened his arm around his little girl, "It's tough. Grief sucks."

Charlotte agreed, "Yeah, it does. That's why I'm so thankful for the grief group and for Matt. Well, and for church."

Alex took another swig of beer, "If I ask you something, do you promise to tell me if it hurts your feelings?"

Charlotte shrugged, "Sure."

Alex continued his loving grip around Charlotte, "You really believe all that stuff? All the God stuff? You actually like church?"

Charlotte laughed softly, "Yeah, mostly. I liked my church in Iowa more – it was liberal and focused a lot on spirituality. Dr. Kepner's church is more conservative, but the people are really nice. But, yeah, I like all the God stuff. It helps me get through rotten times. Praying and reading and stuff like that – it helps. And Dr. Kepner has been great too. We have wonderful conversations about life and faith and God on the way to and from church."

Alex paused thoughtfully for a bit, then commented, "You know, I was raised in Iowa where basically everyone goes to church. But my parents…well, we didn't. My childhood was pretty messed up. I remember when I was dating your mom. She really didn't like that I didn't go to church. She was always trying to talk me into going to church with her."

Charlotte laughed, "Well, she didn't give me a choice." Alex squeezed his arm around her playfully.

The two of them stayed in the swing for nearly two hours in total. When Alex was ready to go inside, he realized Charlotte had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He carried her upstairs, imagining what it would have been like to carry her to bed when she was little. Even though she often drove him to the brink, he adored his kid.

After Alex came back downstairs, Jo was curled up on the couch and said, "I was hoping you'd come back down here." She was drinking a beer and had one on the table waiting for him. The two met up at the couch, and Alex put an arm around Jo as he sat down. They were both staring at the ceiling and sitting in silence. Jo quietly observed, "You two were out there for a long time."

Alex responded, "Yeah, we were. Kid's got a boyfriend." With just a hint of contempt when he said the boyfriend's name, Alex added, "His name is _Matt_. He goes to the grief group and to Kepner's church."

Jo responded, "Huh. I had no idea there was a boyfriend in the picture."

Alex said thoughtfully, "Yeah, me either. I didn't even know she went to church."

Jo offered, "Yep, almost every week. With April. I guess I never realized you didn't know."

Alex assured her with a chuckle, "It's ok. Not knowing about her going to church doesn't scare me. Now if we find out she's been hanging out in places where I hung out as a teenager… finding that out would be much more concerning."

Jo laughed then mused, "You being home more lately has really helped. There's less stress all around. She finally seems to be warming up to me."

Alex took a swig of beer and said, "Yeah."

Jo responded, "What a surreal year. I'm not sure I can even summarize it aloud – it just might overwhelm me more."

Alex suggested, "Then don't. Let's just be quiet and sit here." They sat for over two hours in the quiet stillness. Alex napped for 5-10 minutes at a time, then woke up and sat in silence some more. Jo looked around the room and wondered what the future would bring.

Jo said quietly, "Do you think she wants a pet?"

Alex snickered, "That's what's weighing heavily on your mind right now?!"

Jo didn't move and kept looking around the room, "I'm wondering about a lot of things. That's just one of them."

Alex grumbled, "We don't need more chaos right now. Getting a pet is _not _an option."

Jo nodded, "I hate cats. If we get a pet, it can't be a cat."

Alex rolled his eyes and said as if he thought Jo was a lunatic for thinking that far ahead, "Ok. No cats."

The next day at the hospital, Alex approached the ER nurses' station empty handed. Kepner was standing at the counter charting and Jackson was sitting down working on some research at the computer. Without looking up from the counter, Alex uncomfortably offered, "Ummm… Kepner. I wanted to say thanks."

April looked up in shock and tried to clarify, "Thanks?"

Alex continued to look at the counter rather than at April, "You've been nice to my kid. I just found out last night you've been taking my kid to church pretty much since she arrived in Seattle."

Stunned, April at Alex with a reassuring smile. Then she looked awkwardly at Avery as Avery returned her glance with a look of concern. Alex saw their exchange and took it personally, insisting, "What?! I'm capable of gratitude. No lightning bolts are going to strike because I said the word 'church'."

April looked at Alex with a strained but reassuring smile, "No, Alex, it's not that. Your gratitude is obviously heartfelt." April looked back over at Jackson who pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and returned his gaze to the computer.

Alex furrowed his brow with confusion, "What then?"

April struggled, "Well, I was contemplating whether or not I should let you know something. Charlotte has a boyfriend that goes to my church."

Even though Alex had just found this out, he acted as if he'd known all along, saying, "Yeah, I know."

April continued, "Well Charlotte and Matt had been going off by themselves and…umm… chatting and stuff during youth group after worship. Then a week or so ago, Jackson and I were coming in the main entrance. Charlotte and Matt were…they were…were making out and stuff in his car."

Alex looked frustrated, "Stuff? What the hell does that mean?"

April shifted on her feet as Jackson did all he could to avoid the conversation, "You know…"

Alex leaned toward April, "What? Please tell me my kid isn't doing the deed in a _church._"

April looked disgusted and explained, "No! Kissing. Making out and…well, stuff." April continued, "So on the way to church this Sunday, I talked to Charlotte about sex an…"

Alex choked on his coffee as he laughed heartily and interrupted, "_You _talked to _my _kid about _sex?_"

Avery interrupted with a warning voice, "Easy, Alex." Alex tried not to laugh at the thought of April chatting with any human being about sex.

April continued. "Yes, I did," she said with determination. "I gave her a purity ring for her birthday a few months ago and she seemed grateful for it. We had a great discussion that day about waiting until you're married, so I brought up the topic again and told her how I was concerned about her relationship with Matt and how physical it seemed to be."

"Ummm," Alex sputtered, "Do you think they're….uh… you know…"

April offered in her best doctor voice, "Are you asking if I think they are sexually active? If they've had intercourse?" Alex nodded slowly and had a look of terror on his face as April added, "From what I can gather, they have been physically exploring," April hesitated, "their feelings. When I asked her directly, she assured me that she is still a virgin."

Meredith walked up and asked, "Who's still a virgin?"

Alex looked at her like the stressed out father that he was, "My kid."

Meredith took in a breath of surprise and said, "Oh." She walked away as quickly as she could.

Alex looked at Kepner with a thoughtful frown, "Ummm... Thanks of telling me all that, April. I'm not so sure what 'physically exploring their feelings' means, but maybe that's another conversation for later when my blood pressure returns to a normal range." He grabbed a chart and walked toward the curtains to see a patient.

Jackson called to Alex, "She means 2nd base. Stuff? 2nd base." April blushed.

Alex stopped and turned around, inquiring, "Barely sliding into 2nd base or rounding toward 3rd?"

Jackson nodded confidently, "Solidly safe at 2nd base." Alex tilted his head back, took in a deep breath, and walked over to the curtains to treat a patient.

April looked at Jackson with shock and sadness, "I don't think he's ever called me by my first name. Poor Alex, he's beside himself."

Jackson stood up and came around the counter, reassuring April, "I think you made the right choice by telling him." Then he approached and hugged April from behind, whispering, "I don't envy him, but it was kind of fun watching him squirm."

April looked back at Jackson with shock, then smiled, "Yeah, I guess it was." 


	16. Chapter 16 - He Calls Her Spider?

**Chapter 16 **

**He Calls Her Spider?!**

Alex had come home after a long board meeting and discovered Jo on the couch reviewing a patient file. Having seen a black Cayenne parked next to Charlotte's car, he asked Jo, "Where's Derek?"

Jo, hyper-focused on the patient file and trying to make sense of some complex details, looked at Alex as if he were from Mars, "No idea. Why? Did you think Dr. Shepherd was _here_?"

Perplexed, Alex looked intently at his wife, "I thought I saw his car out front." He rubbed his hand along his lips and chin, grasping his chin as he tried to sort out his perception versus the reality.

Jo responded in equal amounts of confusion, "Well, unless he's hiding somewhere, he's not here. Our daughter is here, I'm here, you're here. No Derek Shepherd." Momentarily, Jo had forgotten that Matt, Charlotte's boyfriend, was also at the house. The patient's case consumed her attention so deeply that just about anything could have transpired and Jo wouldn't have noticed.

Jo shifted the conversation back to the chart and asked Alex to help her understand some of the notations and terms. After Alex explained the surgery and the complications that had followed, he helped her understand why the next surgery was necessary. After the explanation, he told Jo he was going to grab a beer and change his clothes. He assured her he would be right back in case she had more questions.

After Kepner had talked to Alex about Charlotte and Matt's interactions, he and Jo decided to encourage Charlotte to invite Matt over so they could get to know him. Matt had been visiting and sometimes staying for dinner, but somehow he and Alex had yet to be at the house simultaneously. Nonetheless, the idea of Charlotte's boyfriend visiting helped Alex get used to the idea of Charlotte dating. Moreover, Alex considered these efforts to be along the lines of _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer._

As Alex approached the kitchen, he overheard a guy's voice exclaiming with encouragement, "Yes! You got it! That means another kiss." Alex stopped dead in his tracks and listened from around the corner where he would not be seen.

Then Alex heard Charlotte giggle and plead, "How about two? That problem was really tough." Alex rolled his eyes as he heard Charlotte's fake whine.

The guy insisted playfully, "There are more kisses to come, but only one per question. You know the deal."

The two teens were laughing as Alex, trying to act nonchalant, walked in. He nodded his head briefly to Matt and then looked at Charlotte. He walked over to her and kissed her on the top of her head, "Hey, Spider." Internally, Charlotte cringed. Outwardly, she smiled softly. Alex asked her, "Did Dr. Shepherd or Mer come by? I thought I saw Derek's car out front."

Charlotte responded, "Oh, that's Matt's car. Dad, thi…"

Just as she was about to introduce Matt, Alex held out his hand toward Matt and introduced himself, "Alex Karev. Nice to meet you."

Matt made Charlotte proud as he stood up and grasped Alex's hand saying, "Dr. Karev, pleased to meet you. I'm Matt Bauer."

Alex nodded, "Hi Matt. So that's _your_ Cayenne out there? Nice ride."

Matt laughed just the right amount, "Oh, no sir. That's my mother's car. Mine is in the shop." Charlotte thought to herself, _Great job calling him 'sir'! He'll notice that. _Charlotte hung on every second of this important interaction playing out before her eyes.

Alex continued to try to act cool, calm, and casual as he walked to the refrigerator and thought about the kid who had hanging out with his daughter on 2nd base. Matt obviously came from money – not only did his mom drive an expensive car, the kid was wearing a nice button down shirt and a cashmere sweater. A Ralph Lauren P-coat hung on the back of his chair.

Alex turned halfway around when he opened the fridge, "Something to drink?"

Charlotte didn't look up from her Chemistry notebook as she said, "I'm good, Dad, thanks." She thought to herself, _Just step away, Dad. Stop spying and go to another room, please._

Alex immediately re-asked, "Matt?"

"I'm great, sir. Thank you. I have some water right here," Matt responded before turning his attention back to Charlotte and saying kindly, "Ok, wait, Spider, remember to put the reactant on the _left _side. That seems to trip you up. If you can remember that, you'll make it much easier on yourself."

Alex thought to himself with some indignation, _He calls her 'Spider'?! She lets him call her 'Spider'?! _With an even deeper curiosity and knowing that his daughter had extended the tiny web of people who called her 'Spider,' Alex tried to find reasons to busy himself in the kitchen. If this kid was that close to Charlotte, Alex wants to keep an eye on him and watch their interactions play out. He pretended to review some mail that Jo had left on the counter, and he grabbed some cans to take out to the recycling just outside the kitchen door.

Charlotte grumbled and hit her forehead with the palm of her hand, "Why do I do that? Always. Every single time. So stupid."

Matt gently put his hand on Charlotte's hand, saying with gentle encouragement, "Hey, be nice to yourself. You've got this. You are anything but stupid."

Charlotte slapped her pencil down on the table and put her head in her hands, "No, I don't. I'm an idiot. I keep making the same basic mistakes."

Matt continued with care, "It's ok. You'll get it. If you can concentrate on that _one _step, you'll be fine. You already know how to balance the elements."

Charlotte sat there looking at her Chemistry book, doing and saying nothing. Matt kept holding her hand. As Alex took some cans to the recycling, he thought, _Dude, run! Get out while you can, she's about to cry and be all hormonal. _However, when he walked back in from the recycling, Alex was impressed and surprised. Matt had continued to hold Charlotte's hand during Alex's recycling trip and allowed Charlotte the silence she needed to collect herself.

Then Alex noticed Matt squeeze Charlotte's hand before tenderly suggesting, "You've been at this a long time. How about if we shift to the ones you started earlier that need to be balanced? I think you set a few aside where you balanced one element but not the others, didn't you?"

Charlotte sighed, smiled weakly, and looked up at Matt, "Yeah. I was hoping you'd forget about those."

Alex couldn't help but interject with a chuckle, "Watch her, Matt. She's sneaky."

Matt smiled and looked at Alex, laughing. Because Matt couldn't see her do so, Charlotte widened her eyes and tightened her jaw, mouthing, "Dad!"

Matt kept his focus and encouraged Charlotte, "Ok, look at number 10. You can complete that one without any trouble. Look. You can do it."

Charlotte thought to herself, _Focus, Charlotte, focus. Forget about Dad finding reasons to be in here. Focus on the stupid problem. _She willed herself to begin working on the problem and then looked up with glee a minute or so later, "I think I did it! Is that right?"

Matt smiled and put his hand up for a high five, "You did. Good job. Now go to number 12. That one is a little trickier." Alex glanced up and thought to himself, _Hmmm…no kiss for that one, huh, kid? Ha!_

Charlotte began to work the problem and then Matt, with the patience of Job, reminded her, "Place a coefficient in front of that. Remember? If you add subscripts, you'll change the formula."

Charlotte sighed audibly, "I really hate chemistry."

Matt playfully pushed her shoulder and kidded, "C'mon. You're whining. Now look at 15-25. I'm going to chat with your dad."

Alex, impressed, looked up and grinned as Matt approached. Alex asked, "So your car's in the shop, huh?"

"Yeah, nothing major," Matt explained with just a hint of a grumble, "It has a door ding my mom insisted I get fixed."

"What do you drive?" Alex asked as he studied the kid in front of him.

Matt tried to make light of his car, saying without much enthusiasm, "A Mustang."

Alex brightened up, "Yeah? What year? I used to have a '66."

Matt smiled and made eye contact with Alex, "Niiiiice. I'm jealous."

Alex chuckled and continued, "Yours is a…?"

Matt responded, again trying to not make a big deal out of it, "Oh. Mine? It's a 2015 GT."

Alex, sounding impressed and disgusted, declared, "Get out. No way. You're too young for such a sweet car, Matt. Automatic or manual?"

Matt laughed and used a 'duh' tone of voice, "Manual, of course!"

Alex patted Matt's shoulder, "Good man."

Charlotte forced her way into the conversation, eagerly suggesting, "Tell him about your other cars, Matt."

Frowning and embarrassed, Matt shook his head slowly and softly said, "Spider, no."

Alex watched the interaction and decided to push the topic, "Car_**s**_?"

Matt just shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, it's no big deal."

Alex thought _Obviously this kid does not want to talk about his other cars, whatever that's about. _Trying to decide how to keep the conversation going, Alex asked, "So you two are in the same Chem class?"

Matt responded, "No. I'm a Senior. I took AP Chem last year."

"Not an easy class, huh?" Alex suggested.

Smiling, Matt replied, "For me, it was the volume of homework that was a burden. My dad died last year, so everything felt pretty challenging and heavy. This year, time has passed and I'm in AP Bio – it's much more manageable."

Loudly, Charlotte cleared her throat, "Ummm…I could use some help on number 19."

Alex looked at Matt like they were equally inconvenienced by Charlotte, saying, "Don't worry. I got this."

Matt turned to face Charlotte while remaining at the kitchen bar. Alex approached Charlotte and asked, "So what's tripping you up on that one?"

Charlotte took in a deep breath, "It's confusing."

Matt called over, "Did you start by balancing an element that appears in only _one_ reactant and product."

Charlotte looked up and growled, "Crap! No."

Matt lowered his brow, "Spider, really?"

Alex was still standing behind Charlotte, looked up and grinned, "I like having you around, Matt. She can't get anything by you."

Jo came into the kitchen and approached Alex, "Hey, I thought you were coming right back?"

Alex blinked as he remembered his previous plan, "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was getting to know Matt here."

Jo smiled and hugged Matt, saying, "He's a great kid. Aren't you, sweetie?"

Matt smirked, "Now you're just embarrassing me, Dr. Karev. C'mon."

"I've told you at least 10 times, Matt, please call me Jo," she insisted. Matt smiled, fully intending not to call her by her first name.

Alex jumped at his chance to get Matt alone, "Hey, Matt, come on out here and check out my new wheels. Just had them put on." Matt followed Alex out, brushing his hand along Charlotte's back as he walked by.

Jo giggled after the two guys had gone outside, "I think Matt is in, Charlotte. Good job."

Charlotte, far more consumed by her Chemistry homework, looked at Jo and groaned, "Are you any good at this stuff?"

Meanwhile, Alex was trying to find out everything he could about Matt without appearing to give him the third degree. As they walked to Alex's car, Alex asked, "So, you're pretty good at Chem. You want to use that somehow in a career?"

Matt said, "Well, kind of. My dad was a JD-MD. Lately, I've been seriously considering following in his footsteps."

Alex stopped walking and looked at him, "Wow. That's a lot of school – both a lawyer and a doctor. Impressive."

Matt shrugged, "Well, I have some options for schooling. My dad made sure he left us in good shape. But, yeah, whatever. I'd love to see those wheels."

Alex was unsure if Matt was being humble or avoiding grief, but the former seemed most likely. The two walked toward Alex's car and ooh'd and aahh'd over the wheels. They ended up sitting on the porch swing chatting.

They sat in somewhat awkward silence before Alex resumed the conversation, "So a JD-MD. You'd focus on using the MD in a law practice? Representing patients suing doctors or doctors and hospitals being sued by patients?"

Matt laughed, "Ah! That would be a trick question if my answer wasn't what it is. I'm partial to representing hospitals and doctors. That's what my dad did. I guess he biased me."

Alex chuckled, "Ok, good, because you seem smart and I want you on my side if I ever screw up." Alex took a drink of his beer, then asked, "So that's what your dad did, huh? He died last year, you said?"

Matt nodded, "He died the week before Christmas last December. He was driving home after a late jury verdict came in, hit a patch of black ice, and…well, the accident was pretty bad. He virtually died upon impact. The hospital tried to revive him but they could only do so much."

Alex, truly interested, asked, "Which hospital?"

Matt knew Alex and Jo were affiliated with Sloan Grey since he'd dropped Charlotte off there many times. Matt smirked and offered, "Seattle Pres. Dad had some friends at your place. I wish they'd been able to take him there, but who knows? You guys might have faced the same result. Like I said, it was a pretty grizzly accident. I'm not sure anyone could have done anything to ensure he'd survive."

Alex paused and took a drink of water. "Who'd your dad know at Sloan Grey?"

Matt answered, "You know, I'm not sure of names. I just know he used to be on the board before that group of doctors bought the hospital."

Alex leaned forward to face Matt, "What was your dad's name? I might've known him."

"Dean Bauer," Matt answered.

"Man," Alex exclaimed in shock, "Your dad was Dean Bauer? Wow, Matt. I feel like I'm in the presence of Seattle royalty. Your dad was a great man. We were all so sad when that accident happened."

Matt clicked his tongue and grimaced, saying, "Yep. That was my dad. I try not to make a big deal of it. He was a great guy and a great dad, but when people find out that my last name is connected with _the _Bauer's of Seattle…I dunno, it just gets weird. That's part of what I love about Charlotte – she isn't bowled over by my name. She likes me for me, not because I'm a Bauer."

Alex responded, "Hmmmm…well, her mom raised her well. Sophie was a really solid person."

Matt said, "So I've heard. Super strict but also pretty cool. I mean, who wouldn't like someone who teaches Kindergarten, right? People who teach Kindergarten are usually pretty kind and loving."

Both of them laughed as Charlotte and Jo came out the front door. Jo exclaimed, "Found them! They're out her bonding, Charlotte."

Matt held up his hand and grasped Charlotte's hand, looking at her and saying with a gentle grin, "We were just talking about your mom."

Charlotte lowered her shoulders and softened her eyes, "Awwwww."

Matt looked at his watch, "So, hey, I'm really sorry to cut off our conversation, Dr. Karev. I need to pick up my sister by 6. With traffic, I think I'll just barely make it." Matt turned to Jo and they hugged goodbye. Then he turned to Charlotte and made up an excuse for her to follow him, "Oh, did you want that chart that I told you about? It's in the back seat." Charlotte picked up the hint and nodded her head.

Before the young couple walked to Matt's mother's car, Matt turned to Alex and shook his hand again, "Dr. Karev, really nice chatting with you. I'm glad we were able to finally meet."

Alex responded, "Yeah, me too. Take care, Matt. Hope to see you again soon."

Charlotte and Matt headed toward the Cayenne. Alex looked at Jo and mumbled suspiciously, "Is he too good to be true or is he really that classy?"

Jo pursed her lips, then offered, "Well, I've met the kid more than a handful of times. Each time, he's pretty much like he was today. He just might be the real deal. I want to know his mom's secrets for raising him."

Alex laughed, "Well, he's probably rotten at home and well-mannered outside the home. You know, like when we go to parent-teacher night and all the teachers tell us how pleasant Spider is? Same thing."

Jo laughed gently and hugged Alex as he kissed her. Charlotte came running toward the door, "Matt forgot his coat. Be right back." She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the coat, throwing it on and heading back to Matt. She ran past Alex and Jo without a glance.

When Matt saw her in his coat, he smiled. Charlotte walked up to kiss Matt goodbye. As he stroked her hair and brought her head to his for a kiss, he said, "Keep it for now. You look so adorable in it."

After Matt drove away, Charlotte headed back up the stairs to the porch swing. She approached Alex and Jo, giddy and with the coat tightly wrapped around her. With hesitation, she asked, "Well… Dad?"

Alex acted like he had no idea what Charlotte was asking. He loosened the tie he'd had to wear to the board meeting, noticing he had lost track of changing clothes because he was talking to Matt, "Huh?"

Charlotte pushed Alex's shoulder, "C'mon. What did you think?"

Alex shrugged with both Charlotte and Jo knowing he was faking his disinterest, "Oh, that guy? What's his name? Mark? Mike? Mel? Yeah, he's ok."

Jo looked up and grinned as she mouthed to Charlotte, _"Yes!" _Charlotte's relief and joy were clearly apparent as she nodded back at Jo.

The next morning at 6:30 am, Alex was up for his run and knocked on Charlotte's door, "Hey, Spider, let's go. Time to run."

Charlotte replied from the other side of the door, "It's too early for a non-school day. I'll barf."

Alex laughed at her lame excuse, "Nah…did you barf at all after dinner?"

"No," Charlotte said as she flipped a pillow over her head.

Alex declared, "Then you're fine. Get dressed and meet me downstairs."

Charlotte reluctantly did as she was told. This weekend was not the time to tick off her dad. She promised Matt she'd ask Alex about homecoming before Monday.

Alex and Charlotte set off on their run. Charlotte kept running alongside Alex, but said nothing. She was glad they were running, because then she didn't have to look at him as she mentioned homecoming.

Halfway through the route, she had finally worked up the courage to broach the subject. She said as coolly as she could manage, "So, Dad."

Alex replied, "So Spider."

Charlotte laughed softly, "Umm… well, I have something pretty important to ask you."

Alex stopped. He bent down and put his hands on his knees as he caught his breath and turned to look at her, "What's up?"

Charlotte ran around her dad, saying uncomfortably, "We didn't need to stop running."

"If it's important, we do." Alex stated.

"Never mind, Dad. It's not a big deal," Charlotte said as she began running ahead.

Alex quickly caught up, but said nothing.

A few minutes later, Charlotte decided she'd just blurt it out rather than introduce the question, "Matt asked me to homecoming. Can I go?"

Alex kept running alongside his daughter. He was silent.

Charlotte's heart beat especially fast due to the combination of nerves and the run, but she kept running. After too much silence for her comfort level, she said, "So? Can I?"

Alex ran a hand over his head, then put both hands on the back of his neck and started walking. Charlotte met his pace as she waited for Alex to reply. Alex pondered aloud, "I knew this topic would come up at some point. I just didn't think it would happen during a run."

Charlotte stayed silent. The question was out there, and Alex was processing aloud. She wasn't about to interrupt his process. Alex continued to walk toward home, his face unconsciously changing from one expression to another as he thought. "Don't get too excited, because I've got a few conditions, but, yes, you can go."

Jumping up and down like Tigger from Winnie the Poo, Charlotte shrieked and bear hugged Alex. Then she yelled, "I love you, Dad. You are the best dad, ever. The best dad in the whole world. I love you, I love you, I love you!"

Alex pushed her away lovingly but insistently, mumbling, "Spider, it's early on a Saturday morning. Shhhhhh."

Whispering with joy, Charlotte exclaimed, "Thank you, Dad! You are the bomb. Thank you, I love you."

Alex shook his head and said dryly, "Stop freaking out like a girl seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. You're worrying me."

"Who's Ed Sullivan?" Charlotte asked, stopped dead in her tracks by confusion.

Alex grumbled, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. So…conditions."

"Anything, Dad," Charlotte voiced. "Anything."

"I'm not so sure you'll be saying that when I've laid them out," Alex warned. "First off, I reserve the right to amend the list at any point in time. No saying," Alex began imitating a teen age girl, "_you didn't say that when you agreed._"

Charlotte laughed, "Fair enough." The two of them continued walking toward home as Alex set out the rest of his conditions:

No drinking or drugs.

No hotels afterward. Parties at houses will depend on who's hosting and who's supervising.

Check in at least twice that night. Text is fine as long as you respond to our return text.

Matt can be your date, but you need to go with another couple or as a group.

Curfew is midnight.

You get in trouble between now and then and the dance is out the window.

With each new condition, Charlotte became a little more deflated. Truth be told, her friends' parents enforced similar but less stringent rules. Charlotte had determined long ago that she would never share that tidbit with Alex. As they rounded the corner toward home, he said, "And two last things…"

Charlotte looked up at him with puppy dog eyes, "Really, Dad? What else?"

"I sign off on the dress," Alex declared, knowing this would be a big debate and heavily resisted.

"Dad…" Charlotte whined, "No way. That is _so_ not fair. _None _of my friends' dads are doing that. C'mon."

Alex continued as he put his arm around his daughter and ignored her whining, "And most importantly, I want you to have a good time."


	17. Chapter 17 - Girl Time

**Charlotte's Web **

**Chapter 17 - Girl Time**

Even though Charlotte had her own car, she and April still shared a ride most Sundays. The two had wonderful discussions during their drives, and Charlotte appreciated April's sweet, encouraging, and insightful ways. When April had texted Charlotte to confirm their plans for the morning, Charlotte replied, _Yes. See you soon. Oh! Dad met Matt on Fri _

When Charlotte hopped into April's car with Matt's P-coat snuggled around her, she and April hugged. April said with glee, "Tell me what your Dad thinks about Matt!"

"You know my dad, he was weird." Charlotte began. "He kind of stalked us while we did homework in the kitchen – it was pretty lame how he tried to pretend he was sorting mail and stuff when he was really watching us. He also managed to find a way to get Matt alone and talk, but I think that ended up going really well. Then after Matt left, Dad acted like he had forgotten Matt's name and like meeting him was no big deal."

April laughed as she imagined Karev in each part of Charlotte's description.

Charlotte continued, "But on our run yesterday, Dad gave me permission to go to homecoming with Matt! I guess he wouldn't do that if he didn't like him, huh?"

April looked forward as she continued to drive, reflecting, "That's great. Homecoming should be fun."

"I'm excited, even though I'm kind of embarrassed that it will be my first real date. I think I'm the only junior in my class who hasn't ever been on a real date. My dad is so strict. He just doesn't get it," Charlotte sighed.

"I know I've said this before, Charlotte, and I know I've joked with you about not telling your dad I said this, but I kind of agree with how protective he is," April admitted.

Charlotte let out a deep breath, "Yeah, I know. I don't get either of you."

"Charlotte, do you mind if I ask you a question? I promise to keep the answer just between us," April asked and assured.

"Sure," Charlotte said, anticipating that it would be some sort of relationship question about Matt.

April paused, wanting to receive a straight answer yet not wanting to put a wedge between them, "Charlotte, you know how much I care about you, right?"

Tilting her head toward April and smiling, Charlotte encouraged, "April, just go ahead and ask. It's ok. If I don't want to answer, I won't."

Laughing softly, April considered how the touch of Alex in Charlotte's personality never failed to be surprising. "Well," April began, "I'm worried about you and Matt becoming too intimate. When you go on a date to something like Homecoming, sometimes inhibitions relax and you know…"

Charlotte smiled, knowing April's heart was in the right place, "We promised each other a long time ago that won't happen. Besides, I'm not sure who my dad would kill faster if it did."

Both April and Charlotte laughed. April looked at the time and noticed they were running ahead of schedule. She decided to pull over into an empty parking lot. Once she pulled into a spot and stopped the car, April looked seriously and lovingly into Charlotte's eyes. "You are such a beautiful, wonderful, amazing young woman, Charlotte. I know you and Matt have made a serious and intentional commitment to one another to wait, and I know you intend to keep it. But when you are all dressed up and you are looking in his eyes and he's telling you how beautiful you are… I'm just worried it will be too easy to cross the line. Even if you don't have sex, you could go further than you've gone so far. The further you go, the easier it becomes to cross the line. I care enough about you to say this."

Charlotte's eyes narrowed and she inquired, "Did my dad put you up to this?"

Looking stunned, April exclaimed honestly, "No!"

"Are you going to tell Dad we talked about this?" Charlotte asked.

April shook her head and grasped Charlotte's hand, saying softly, "No."

"We've…ummm…Matt and I, we've," Charlotte stuttered. Waiting to hear Charlotte's words, April was afraid Charlotte was going to admit she'd just lied and had already had sex. Charlotte continued, "We've talked about it. We've tried to be intentional about what we have and haven't done. There are some ways that we've been … together, and we've talked a lot about our options." Charlotte turned and looked out the window, offering, "Let's talk about something else. This is awkward."

April smiled, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I'm here for you if you want to talk."

"Matt ad I have talked about it. That's all. We haven't taken that final step," Charlotte clarified.

April waited then tried to sort out Charlotte's statement, "But you've taken other steps? When you say you've talked about it…do you mean the two of you have talked about having sex or about waiting?"

"Both," Charlotte admitted.

With her heart skipping a beat, April gazed at this girl who was like a daughter to her, "Charlotte, can I tell you a little bit of my story?"

Charlotte leaned forward toward April curiously as she also checked the time, "Sure, but we're going to be late to church."

April suggested, "How about if we find a quiet coffee shop and skip church this morning?" Charlotte nodded and texted Matt to let him know she wouldn't be at church. April pulled out of the parking lot and found a café nearby. They went in, ordered some drinks, and found a table in the back. April continued, "Before I married Jackson, I was engaged to someone else. Funny enough, his name was Matthew."

Responding with surprise, Charlotte asked, "Really?! What a weird coincidence. Did you…ummm…"

Laughing and lightly slapping Charlotte's hand, April interrupted, "No!" Charlotte smiled as April continued, "Matthew was an amazing, caring, wonderful man with strong faith. He was everything I had always thought I wanted in a husband. We had the same values and the same beliefs. He was thoughtful, tender and adorable."

"But before I was engaged to Matthew," April shared, "I broke my promise to Jesus and to myself. Jackson and I were intimate before I met Matthew. In many ways, I really wish I hadn't done that, but it just kind of happened. My choice to be with Jackson ended up causing problems. Once we started, well…it was easier to continue. Then we broke up, and I felt absolutely awful that I'd lost my virginity to a man I didn't think I would marry. The guilt and shame, Charlotte, was overwhelming."

Charlotte said, "But now you _are_ married to Jackson…"

"Right and he is the only man I've ever been intimate with," April disclosed. "But before Jackson and I were married, Matthew and I dated, and Matthew asked me to marry him. We came close to crossing the line and close to having sex a couple times, but one of us always remained strong when the other didn't. I knew what I was missing, which made the waiting even harder. When I admitted to Matthew that I was not a virgin, it almost tore us apart. He found it really difficult to know I would be his first but that he would not be my first. The whole aftermath of being intimate with Jackson was heart wrenching and confusing and awful in so many ways."

Charlotte listened intently to April and lowered her head as she pondered April's words. April sipped her coffee and let the silence linger. Eventually, in an attempt to rationalize the possibility, Charlotte offered, "Matt and I – we've talked about getting married. Not now, not right away, but maybe after college. If we had sex, it would kind of be like your story – we still would be the only person for each other."

April's brows lowered as she expressed sadness, "I know that's your plan now – that you'll end up married and together. You might. But that's a long time from now, too. Who knows what will happen between now and then? And the way I understand God, I have to say that my sin isn't an excuse for you to follow suit."

"I suppose," Charlotte said cryptically. "But God forgives, right?"

Smiling, April confirmed, "Absolutely, God forgives, but the expectation to wait until marriage isn't just a rule. It's meant to protect us from the pain and regret of adultery. Sex before marriage, it's complicated. Sex brings a different level of commitment and connection with it. When we have sex before marriage, we not only disappoint God, we disappoint our families, ourselves, and even possibly a future spouse that we haven't even met yet. That's how being intimate with Jackson affected my relationship with Matthew."

April continued, "The friendship that you and Matt share is so sacred. I would hate to see that deep friendship and bond impaired by premarital sex. As judgmental as this may sound, you two are young and learning and growing up. You're not ready for a sexual commitment. Imagine having to hide that part of your experience and that part of your life from your dad. Wouldn't that be tough? To keep such a big secret from your dad?"

Charlotte gulped at the thought of how her actions might affect Alex, "I suppose it could. Then again, my dad has been honest with me that he wasn't a virgin before his wedding."

April held back spitting her coffee all over the restaurant. It was most certainly true – Karev was anything _but _a virgin when he married Izzy. Not sure if Charlotte even knew about Izzy, April decided to speak in general terms, "I wonder what that was like for him and for them as a couple? To know that the most intimate act a husband and wife can share had been shared with others."

"I don't know," Charlotte replied before joking, "But I highly doubt I'll ever ask him! I can't imagine chatting with my dad about _that._"

The two laughed at the thought before April provided more insights, "Do you mind if I continue with more reasons to wait? I don't want to be pushy, but I really care about you and the decisions you make." Charlotte nodded and April said, "Once you have sex, a relationship deepens to a different level of connection and seriousness. If the relationship falls apart, it will be harder to consider breaking up because you have been physically together. If you do break up, the break up will be even more painful because you've given a part of yourself, a part of your body, to him. At 17, I'm not sure you're ready to make a lifelong commitment. Then, of course, there's the risk of pregnancy. Even if you used birth control, there's a possibility of getting pregnant. Can you imagine raising a baby right now?"

Charlotte kidded, "I can imagine my dad going ballistic if I became pregnant. I'm not sure I'd survive to raise the baby."

"There's a reason your dad would be upset, right? You're not ready, Charlotte, and that's not a negative," April shared gently. "Love yourself and love Matt enough to wait."

"I really do love him, April," Charlotte disclosed.

April leaned over the table, looked Charlotte in the eye, and grasped her hand, "I know, Precious. I know."

As they finished their coffee and moved on to chat about lighter subjects, Alex and Jo happened to come to the café. They spotted Charlotte and April, who were so engrossed in talking about a movie Charlotte had just seen that neither of them noticed when Alex and Jo initially arrived. As the couple came closer, April spotted them. Alex approached Charlotte from behind, putting his finger to his mouth. He leaned down by Charlotte's ear and said, "How was church?"

Charlotte jumped and turned around to see Alex and Jo. She shoved him playfully in the shoulder, "Dad! Geez. Really?" Alex laughed at how Charlotte had jumped in surprise, then he greeted and hugged her.

April smiled and motioned to the empty chairs at their table, "Come join us, guys. How funny we all ended up here."

Alex and Jo sat down and Jo asked, "Charlotte, I was thinking you and I could go look for dresses for Homecoming today. Are you up for that?"

"As long as Dad doesn't come," Charlotte said jokingly. Deep down inside, it wasn't really a joke.

"I have great taste in Homecoming dresses," Alex joked. "I especially like the ones that start at the neck, have long poofy sleeves, and go all the way to the floor."

April responded first, saying, "Alex, you're too much."

"What?!" Alex mocked.

Jo put a hand on Alex's arm and clarified, "This is a girl thing, honey. Don't worry – you will still have veto power."

"Damn straight I will," Alex insisted as their order was called. He went to the counter to pick it up.

Charlotte leaned toward April and explained, "Dad agreed I could go to Homecoming with Matt, but only if he had final say on the dress. He had a bunch of other conditions too, like no hotels, no drinking, no late curfew, no fun. Stuff like that."

"His expectations are not that unreasonable, Charlotte," Jo insisted as she backed Alex up.

Alex returned to the table to hear Jo's comment, asking, "Unreasonable?"

"Your conditions for Homecoming," Charlotte clarified.

"Well," Alex shrugged, "if you don't like them, you don't have to go. Up to you."

"You are so hilarious, Dad. So funny," Charlotte responded dryly with a smirk as she snuggled herself in Matt's coat.

After everyone had finished their coffee, April said goodbye and went home. Jo offered to drop Alex off at home before the Homecoming dress shopping adventure could began. Jo asked Charlotte, "Where would you like to go first? I'm yours all afternoon. I'm off until tomorrow morning."

"Thank you so much for doing this with me, Jo," Charlotte said, "I really didn't want to shop with Dad."

Laughing, Jo admitted, "I don't like shopping with him either. All he does is grumble, balk at price tags, and ask when we can leave."

The two decided to try Nordstrom first. Jo asked Charlotte, "Do you have any specifics in mind? Colors? What can I help you find?"

Charlotte answered, "I was thinking something short and playful. I'm not sure about color. Maybe something strapless?"

"Hmmm," Jo mused, thinking that Alex would veto both strapless and short. "Let's see what we can find." The two scoured the store and gathered some options. The first time she went in the dressing room, Charlotte tried on at least 10 dresses. There were three that Charlotte decided she would seriously consider.

When Charlotte came out to show Jo one of the dresses, Jo offered, "Here's what I'm thinking - how about if I take a picture of you in any of the dresses you are seriously considering? Then we can show those to your dad. If you find one you are just absolutely sure is the one, we can buy it and have him see it on you." Charlotte liked that plan and agreed.

The first dress Charlotte adored was a black sheath with a black lace overlay and small cap sleeves. The back had a cut out and the skirt stopped about halfway down her thigh. Another favorite was a dark blue dress with a mid-thigh flair skirt. It had one strap over the right shoulder that was embellished with sequins, and the fabric across the chest was twisted in the middle. The third dress Charlotte wanted was a darling red strapless skater dress with a short, loose tulle skirt and a sequined and tightly fitted bodice.

After taking those three pictures, Jo casually suggested, "How about trying on one with a long skirt? When the skirt flows down, it's so pretty. Charlotte agreed and came out of the dressing room telling Jo she could delete the other pictures, because _this _was the dress. The aqua dress was entirely covered in sequins, had a slit from the floor up to mid-thigh, and was strapless. The back plunged two thirds of the way down the back. While the dress took her breath away, Jo was fairly certain Alex wouldn't approve of it. Rather than deleting the other pictures, Jo kept them on her phone.

"You should try something on, Jo, just for fun," Charlotte suggested.

Hoping to inspire Charlotte into trying something more modest, Jo tried on a full length, red sequined gown with short sleeves. The neck line was rounded and about 3" from the neck in the front and plunged just a bit more in the back. The shade of red was perfect on her. Jo came strutting playfully out of the dressing room in the dress, and Charlotte snapped a picture, saying, "That is adorable on you, but you know what would be even cuter?"

Charlotte handed Jo another dress to try on. The second dress was also floor length and red, but was a mermaid dress that was fitted until just before the knee. Three sewn-in satin ribbons interrupted the lace around the waist. The sleeves were tiny and the neckline plunged the slightest bit. As Jo looked in the mirror in the dressing room, she fell in love with the dress and wished she needed it. She modeled this dress for Charlotte as well, with Charlotte snapping a few pictures of her adorably funny step-mom.

Jo changed out of the dress and expressed, "Oh, I wish I had a reason to buy that dress. I absolutely love it."

Charlotte suggested with a smile, "Well, then buy it! You can tell Dad he needs to take you out for a fancy dinner. Just create an occasion!"

"Oh, yeah, because we all know how much your dad loves to dress up. He'd do it, but he'd grumble about it," Jo laughed.

On the way home, Charlotte was full of energy and anticipation. She couldn't wait to find out which dress would be Alex's favorite. As Jo drove, Charlotte texted the pictures to Matt and asked for his feedback. When he texted his response, she learned that Matt's vote was for the red skater dress. His text read, _You look amazing in every one of them. All nice. I know I won't be able to take my eyes off you if you get the red one. ;)_


	18. Chapter 18 – No, No, Absolutely Not, Yes

**Charlotte's Web**

**Chapter 18 – No, No, Absolutely Not, Yes**

Alex was on the couch watching a football game when Jo and Charlotte returned. "Hey, how'd it go?" he asked when they came in the house.

Charlotte bounded over to Alex, gushing, "Oh, Dad, you should see the choices. They are all so gorgeous. Completely amazing. You aren't going to believe how fantastic they are."

Alex looked at Jo and asked, "Did you guys stop for triple mochas on the way home or something?"

Softly laughing, Jo said, "She's really excited, Alex."

Charlotte still had Jo's phone, so she opened the photo app, found the pictures of Jo, and put the camera near Alex, "Do you want to see the pictures?" Alex nodded and Charlotte handed him the camera. Charlotte plopped down next to Alex and explained, "I talked Jo into playing dress up with me and trying on a few gorgeous dresses. Check this one out, Dad." Alex lifted his eyebrows and made a 'not-so-bad' face, commenting, "Nice. Very nice."

"Oh just wait, Dad. Just wait. Look at this one. It's even better," Charlotte giggled as she slid the screen to get to the next picture. Alex laughed at Charlotte's boundless excitement.

Alex looked at the dress and then looked at Jo with a grin. Since Charlotte was there, he couldn't say what he wanted to say. He tripped over his words as he censored himself, "That is…one fine looking woman." Then he winked at his wife and asked, "You bought this one?"

Jo's eyes widened as she flirted, "I could always go back and get it."

"I told Jo you guys should create an occasion just so she can get that dress. Isn't it beautiful on her?" Charlotte added enthusiastically.

Alex nodded as he quickly imagined taking the dress off his wife. He brought himself back to the present moment, asking, "What about your homecoming dress? Or are you just going to send Jo in your place?"

Laughing, Charlotte said, "No, I'm going. Now…do you want to see Matt's favorite first or last? Or do you want to see all of them in one picture and then see them individually? Because I created a collage if you want to do that." Alex chuckled inside as he watched his daughter nearly explode with anticipation and excitement.

"I'm fine however. Which one is your favorite? I'll look at that first," Alex stated.

Charlotte flipped to the red dress, Matt's favorite, saying with glee, "This is _the _one, Dad. You don't even have to look at the other pictures. This one's it. Isn't it adorable?"

Alex looked at the picture and said nothing. He enlarged the picture and then brought it back to size before saying in a fatherly tone, "I think the picture cut off part of the dress. The length in this picture barely covers your butt."

"Dad! It's supposed to be short. That's the style. Right, Jo?" Charlotte campaigned.

Jo affirmed without commentary, "Most of the dresses in the store were that short. That is the current trend."

"No," Alex said as he handed the phone back to Charlotte. "Show me the next one."

"Dad!" Charlotte exclaimed, her eyes filling with crocodile tears at the thought of not being able to wear Matthew's favorite dress.

"Spider, no. It's too short." Alex said flatly, "What else?"

Charlotte whined, "You hardly gave it a chance, Dad. What if you came with me to the store and saw it in person? You'd really love it. It's so adorable."

Alex looked at his daughter seriously and with a flat expression, softly insisting, "I said no."

"Really?" Charlotte begged.

"What part of 'no' is confusing?" Alex asked.

Charlotte sighed heavily and Alex caught Jo's eye. "Here," Charlotte said as if she hated the dress she was showing him. She'd chosen her favorite, the long aqua gown with the slit.

"It's ripped," Alex said half-jokingly.

"No, it's not." Charlotte said seriously.

Alex pointed out the slit, trying to lighten the dramatic mood Charlotte had fallen into, "See, right there? That opening goes almost to your hip."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, grabbed the phone out of Alex's hand, and said, "Ok, this next one doesn't have a slit going up to my hip."

"Good," Alex said.

Charlotte showed her dad the picture of the dark blue dress with one strap.

"Nope. Too short and only one strap. No way." Alex said without much reaction.

"Dad…" Charlotte began, trying not to fume. "Dad, you are really making this difficult. What do you expect me to wear? A burqa? Come. On." Charlotte flipped to the black lace dress and showed it to Alex. "Here's the last one. It's the _only _one left, the last choice."

As Alex grasped the phone, he said sarcastically, "The store only had these four choices? This is the last possible option left in Seattle?"

Charlotte took in a deep breath and looked at Alex with silent and simmering frustration.

Alex looked at the black dress and decided to mention what he did like about the dress. "I like it – it's pretty but not too revealing. That one would be fine if it was longer, but it's too short."

Charlotte sighed loudly, lowered her head, and said, "Excuse me." She knew if she lost her cool, she'd end up fighting with Alex. She wanted to avoid an argument, so she walked as calmly up the stairs as she could.

Alex called out, "C'mon, Spider. We'll find something. Come back, let's talk."

Charlotte continued walking, responding weakly, "Not right now." She gently closed her door before flopping onto her bed and crying into her pillow. After a few minutes of crying, she texted Matt, looking for sympathy: _I can't believe it. He's on a power trip. Vetoed EVERY single one._

Matt responded right back, _No! Even the red one? Loved that one._

Charlotte's response was, _He exaggerated and said it barely covered my back end. ARGH. _

Matt tried to cheer her up and make her laugh, _I'm keeping the picture of the red one. _

_I'm so mad at him, _Charlotte responded, determined to be upset.

Matt's text tried to reassure her, _Deep breath, babe. We can go to the store sometime and see what we can find together. Itll work out._

Charlotte pouted, _Might as well wear jeans and t-shirt, but he'd probably veto that as too revealing too._

Matt, not sure how to continue the conversation as she became more and more emotional and dramatic, wrote, _Well I'd love you in jeans and a t. I love you in anything._

Charlotte smiled through her tears and responded, _I love you too._

Downstairs, Jo looked at Alex with a hint of disappointment. Alex responded, "Why did you let her try those on – didn't you know I'd say no to all of them?"

"I was hoping you might see that the short skirt really is the trend and that you'd give in on one of them," Jo shared. "You have to admit that the red one was pretty darn adorable on her."

"I wasn't going to say this to her, but my first thought on that blue one was that it'd be perfect if Matt was paying someone to be his date…if you know what I mean."

Jo frowned, "Alex, stop. Every one of those dresses looked darling on her."

"I didn't say she didn't look good in them, I'm saying she's not wearing any of them in public. Besides that, she's definitely not wearing any of them on a date with a teen age guy," Alex declared calmly. "Can you take her shopping again next time you're off and help her understand I'm not going for anything way above the knee, anything strapless or anything too form fitting? But you," Alex changed his tone to a suggestive flirt, "you could buy each one."

"That's not hypocritical at all," Jo responded in a monotone voice. "I'm going upstairs to check on her. You have to give the kid credit for not storming off or slamming her door."

"You've been with her all day, I'll go," Alex insisted, thinking he was helping.

"Oh no, Alexander Michael," Jo declared, "don't go anywhere near her for the rest of the night. She's upset enough with you as it is. She excused herself in a very mature way and a chat with you is the last thing she wants or needs."

"Geez, why am I the bad guy here?" Alex responded as he threw his hands in the air, "Ok, Josephine. I won't."

Charlotte was sniffling and crying as she and Matt texted back and forth. By this point, she'd texted with him about her conversation with April as well as about her impossible father. Matt kept gently reassuring her that she'd find another dress and that she'd look amazing no matter what. When Charlotte turned to the details of her conversation with Kepner, Matt decided to keep responding to the dress crisis. The poor kid had no idea how to converse about premarital sex via text in a comfortable way.

Jo knocked on Charlotte's door, "Hey, Charlotte, can I come in?"

"If you're alone" Charlotte sniffled as she blew her nose and returned Matt's latest text. "What's up?"

Jo sat down next to Charlotte and put an arm around her. "I'm so sorry your dad vetoed all your dresses."

Charlotte put her hand over her eyes and said, "He treats me like I'm 5. I'm not a baby."

"He loves you," Jo insisted.

"Whatever. His love is over-protective and unrealistic." Charlotte claimed.

Jo asked, "What can I do to help you feel better, Charlotte?"

With tears still spilling from her eyes, Charlotte suggested, "You could talk him into one of them."

Smirking, Jo offered, "I don't think that's going to happen, girl."

"You could talk him into getting rid of his veto rule?" Charlotte suggested, knowing it was a lost cause.

Jo just grinned as Charlotte read Matt's latest text and responded. Then Jo suggested, "How about if we go for ice cream? Just you and me? I know it doesn't fix anything, but at least it tastes amazing. Or doughnuts. We could go get powdered doughnuts and not buy any for your dad."

Charlotte advised with a grin, "Not getting him a powdered doughnut if we got them would only tick him off."

"Yeah," Jo agreed. "You're right. So…ice cream then?"

Charlotte agreed, wiped her tears and looked in the mirror. She touched up her makeup as best she could and the two walked down the stairs.

Jo told Alex, "We're going to get ice cream." Alex jumped up, thinking he was invited. Jo added, "It's a girl thing. Just us. But I can bring you back something." Looking dejected, Alex requested a flavor and sat back down on the couch looking dejected.

As the two devoured their ice cream cones, Jo nudged, "Does it help if I remind you how much your Dad only wants the best for you?"

"Right now," Charlotte responded, "no. I really just want to be mad at him right now."

"That's fair," Jo acknowledged. "You can be as mad at him as you'd like if that's how you want to spend your time."

Charlotte grumbled, "I'm frustrated and I can't wait to be 18 and out from under his thumb."

Jo, not wanting to take that on, changed the subject to a cheerier one, "So forget about the dress for a minute. Are you excited about Homecoming and going with Matt?"

Charlotte smiled, "Yeah. I'm kind of nervous, which is dumb because I know him well. This just feels so official, though."

"Which car do you think he'll drive?" Jo asked, having seen some of the various cars from Matt's Dad's collection.

Laughing, Charlotte admitted, "I don't have the nerve to ask him, but I've been wondering. He doesn't like to make a big deal out of all his family's stuff. I guess that's a good thing, but I wish he wasn't so private about it all."

"Better humble than arrogant," Jo offered. Then she added, "You know, it's still early. If you want, we could go try on more dresses."

Charlotte agreed, "Thank you, Jo. I've really liked spending today with you, but I'm sure this isn't how you want to spend your only day off."

"Of course it is. Ice cream. Great company. Shopping, it's all wonderful," Jo smiled reassuringly.

Charlotte suggested they try a family-owned boutique that was just down the street. When they approached, Charlotte stopped at the storefront window nearly falling into a daze. Without taking her eyes off the display and with her jaw dropping the slightest bit, Charlotte asked Jo, "What do you think of that one?"

The dress was unique, which Charlotte found all the more intriguing. It had a fitted cream, strapless satin bodice with a navy blue overlay from the waist up. The lace made up darling cap sleeves and the straight neckline. The A-line skirt hit right at the knee and had a navy toile patterned lace stitched into the cream satin skirt from the bottom edge up to nearly the waist.

Jo responded, "Let's go try it on."

"It's probably too expensive," Charlotte worried.

"C'mon. Let's try it on anyway," Jo urged.

They entered the shop and were the only customers at the moment. The woman who owned the shop welcomed them warmly. She encouraged them to look around and let her know if they needed help. Charlotte responded, "Actually, I'm not sure I need to look. I love the dress in the window over there."

The woman smiled and looked at Charlotte, saying, "The navy and cream will be lovely on you. Let me go get your size, darling."

Charlotte turned to Jo and asked, "How does she know my size? I didn't tell her."

"I think she's been at this awhile," Jo smirked, "I think she glanced at you and guessed."

The woman brought the dress out and showed Charlotte to the fitting room. While Charlotte tried the dress on, the woman and Jo chatted. Jo shared, "She's going to her first homecoming dance in a few weeks."

"She will look lovely in that dress. The navy blue will be a good color for her," the woman said.

Charlotte came out to show Jo the dress. It fit perfectly and was fantastic on her. "Look at this, Jo," Charlotte said with just a hint of wonder as she twirled in front of her step-mom. "I think my mom would've really liked this dress."

As she prepared to take a picture with her phone, Jo caught herself actually getting teary at the sight of Charlotte in the dress. "Oh, Charlotte, that's the dress. Without a doubt, swee…Charlotte." Jo seemed to trip over terms of endearment toward Charlotte ever since the ugly interchange they had right after Sofie died.

"Jo, you can call me Spider if you want. You don't have to, but you can," Charlotte offered, trying to minimize the turning point her words represented.

"Spider," Jo said softly, "that blue lace spins a beautiful web on you."

Charlotte walked over and hugged Jo as she whispered to her, "Thanks again for being here for me today. I've been thinking a lot, and I'm wondering if it would be ok if I called you Mom."

Jo whispered back, "Absolutely. I'd be honored if you called me Mom." Jo blinked rapidly so Charlotte wouldn't notice her misty eyes as Charlotte returned to modeling and Jo snapped pictures.

"Let me text this to your dad right now," Jo suggested. "I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier. We can text him pictures of the dress right from the store." She sent Alex the picture with the words, _It's even more precious in person. Say yes. This one is it. _

Alex's phone sounded, and he leaned over to grab it. As he went to open the text, another text came through. Both were from Jo. The second text read, _She just invited me to call her Spider and asked if she could call me Mom. Holding back tears._

Alex read the 2nd text first since it popped up as an alert. He smiled to himself as he whispered, _Thank you, Charlotte. It's about time. _As he opened the picture and read Jo's note about the dress, he continued smiling. He texted back, _Yes. Congratulations, Mom._


	19. Chapter 19 - Commitment & Responsibility

**Charlotte's Web**

**Chapter 19 – Commitment and Responsibility**

Charlotte was outside the school, waiting for Matt to meet up with her. They were planning to head to the hospital because Alex had asked them to chat when he had a break in his afternoon schedule. As she leaned against the wall of the building, Charlotte saw Matt's mom, Sheryl, drive up to pick up Matt's sister, Emily.

Charlotte ran up to her car and gave Sheryl a giant hug, "Sheryl! Did Matt tell you I found a dress?" Charlotte held up her phone and showed Sheryl a picture.

"Oh, Charlotte," Sheryl rejoiced, "It's absolutely beautiful. How many dresses did you go through before you found it?"

"I probably tried on at least 20. I originally chose 4 that I loved, but my dad vetoed them all. You know how he is," Charlotte shared. She and Sheryl had spoken many times about Alex. Unbeknownst to Alex and Jo, Sheryl had found a way to support Charlotte yet consistently back up Alex each and every time Charlotte came to her with frustration about her dad.

Sheryl laughed, "I'm not surprised. Did he give reasons?"

"Too short, too short, only one shoulder strap, the slit on the floor length one went too high, didn't like anything strapless," Charlotte moaned and mocked.

Laughing gently, Sheryl winked and said, "What would your dad charge to be in charge of Em from now until she's 18?" Then Sheryl turned to the back seat where Matt's younger siblings were sitting, "Girls, look at the beautiful dress Charlotte's going to wear to the big dance."

Matt's younger sisters, Elizabeth, 7, and Erin, 5, oohed and aahed at the pictures and began talking about the type of dress they would each pick someday. Matt's little brother, Christopher, 7 and Elizabeth's twin, glanced up from his game quickly, said, "Nice," and went right back to his game.

Matt and Emily approached the car, laughing and talking. Emily jumped in on the passenger side and Matt embraced Charlotte as he approached the driver's side. "Hey, Mom. Hey, monsters." Matt offered to his mom and siblings.

"Can you pick Chris up at soccer after you meet with Dr. Karev?" Sheryl asked Matt. "I need to get Em to dance, Lizzy to piano, and myself to the dentist after I drop Chris off.

Matt nodded and asked, "Sure. What time?"

"He's done at 5:15," Sheryl explained.

"No problem, but Mom," Matt insisted, "you really do need to find someone to help. I won't be here next year and we all know you won't want Emily transporting your beloved children when she gets her license this summer. That'd be too dangerous." Matt loved pushing Emily's buttons.

Emily protested, "Shut up, Matt! Mom, don't let him say that about me. I'm a good driver."

Sheryl raised her eyebrows at Matt and pursed her lips. Matt offered a reluctant, "Sorry, Em. Just kidding. What's Erin doing while you're at the dentist?"

Leaning her head back on the seat, Sheryl said with exasperation, "Great question. Somehow I lost track of what to do there. I'll figure it out somehow." Sheryl leaned out her window and hugged both Charlotte and Matt. She looked at Charlotte and said, "I've been thinking it would be nice to have you and your parents over sometime. Do they ever have free time for dinner? Any night next week works for me."

"I can check," Charlotte answered. "That would be really nice, Sheryl." Charlotte turned to Matt and asked, "Why don't we take Erin with us this afternoon to help your mom out?"

Matt looked over at Charlotte and said softly, "Sure, but we need to get going, babe. We're gonna be late." Erin popped out of the car like she'd won the lottery and ran to grasp her big brother's hand.

In the Mustang with Erin secured in the car seat, Matt's little sister wanted to know all about the afternoon. "Where are we going? Some place fun?"

Charlotte answered, "The hospital. My dad works there."

"What's your dad do at the hops-pit-ul?" Erin asked.

Matt answered, "He's a doctor and cuts up little kids who don't listen to their big brothers." Charlotte playfully hit Matt's arm as she clarified the role of a surgeon to Erin.

The plan was to page Alex when they arrived and meet him in the cafeteria. Matt sprung for snacks and drinks and let Erin choose a table. She looked around the large room in awe and asked all about what she saw while Charlotte texted Alex. Erin wanted to know what each person in scrubs or medical clothes did, why the soda machine was where it was, why the lady 7 tables away was laughing, and why Matt wouldn't let her get a Coke.

Alex arrived a few minutes later and looked perplexed as he approached Matt and Charlotte. He motioned to Erin and joked, "Something you've been meaning to tell me guys?"

Matt stood up, shook Alex's hand and then introduced Erin to Alex, "This is my youngest sister, Erin. Erin, this is Dr. Karev."

Erin put up the wrong hand and adorably smiled up at Alex. Alex suggested, "How about a high 5 instead, but be careful, I don't want you to hurt my hands and you look pretty strong." Erin summoned all her strength and Alex acted like he was hurt by her, "Oh, man, I'll have to cancel the rest of my surgeries today. This hand is going to swell up from that."

Erin giggled and turned to Charlotte, "Your dad is funny." Then Erin, the talker of the family, asked Alex in a matter-of-fact way, "You're nice. Can I sit on your lap? My daddy died and I don't get Dad time."

Matt, feeling uncomfortable and like Erin was ruining their time with Alex, said, "Erin, come sit with me."

"Nah," Alex dismissed. "It's ok. Sure, Erin, come on up." Erin scampered up to Alex and put up her arms as if she was a baby seeking attention. Alex picked her up and popped her onto his lap before saying to the teens, "So, guys, I wanted to talk to you before Homecoming. Little ears might make this tricky, so maybe we can just chill and talk later."

Erin pulled on Alex's white coat and pointed at the embroidery, "What's that say?"

Matt answered, saying, "Hey, Erin. We need to talk to Dr. Karev, ok? Can you wait a minute to talk?" Then Matt turned to Charlotte, "Do you have a pen or something in your purse?"

Alex answered, "I've got one better. Hey, Erin," Alex said, pulling out his pen light, "check this out. And those words down there – they say my name 'Alex Karev, M.D.' and this nametag down here has my name and what department I work in, 'Alex Karev, M.D., Surgery.'"

"What does M.D. mean?" Erin asked as she played with the pen.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Karev, this could go on for days. My mom was in a pinch," Matt explained.

Alex blew off the apology, "It's no problem, Matt. Nice of you to help your mom." Then Alex turned to Erin and explained, "M.D. means medical doctor. That means I'm an official grown up doctor. Sometimes it means I get to be the boss."

"I like being the boss," Erin declared.

"Yes, yes you do," Matt groaned.

"So, guys," Alex continued as he looked at Charlotte and Matt, "you probably know what I planned to say anyway. Look, I want to emphasize the no messing around part of dating, got it?"

Matt looked away awkwardly while Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Dad, we've talked about all this before."

"And I've performed 1000s of surgeries but it never hurts to re-read the notes and procedures," Alex retorted.

"We've got it, Dr. Karev. We're all on the same page. Hey, Spider, can you take Erin for a walk?" Matt responded.

Charlotte looked concerned and mumbled, "Are you sure?" Matt nodded and the girls walked toward a fountain.

"What's up?" Alex asked.

"I really love your daughter, Dr. Karev. I want you to know I'd never cross any lines she wasn't comfortable crossing. I just needed to tell you that." Matt said.

Alex wasn't sure which part was internally flipping him out more: the mention of love or of crossing lines. He inquired, "Matt, you know me pretty well. I'm direct. I don't mess around, so I'm just going to ask: have you and Charlotte had sex or made plans to have sex at Homecoming? Or plan to drink or do something you wouldn't want me to know about?"

Matt gulped at Alex's blunt manner, answering, "Dr. Karev, we have not had sex and we haven't talked about making plans to sneak around or do something we shouldn't that night. We are committed to one another and I do need to ask you something. Actually, I'm kind of anxious about asking you."

"Shoot," Alex said nonchalantly.

Matt looked around to make sure Charlotte wasn't nearby, then he reached into his backpack and pulled out a box. Alex thought to himself, _Dude, there is __no__ way you guys are getting married._ Matt's voice shook a little as he handed the box to Alex and disclosed, "It's a promise ring. I want to give it to Charlotte at Homecoming, but my mom said asking you first might be a good idea."

"Your mom is smart," Alex stated as he examined the ring. It was two bands connected together – one with diamonds around it like an anniversary band and one with 'Matt and Charlotte' engraved on the inside and 'Today Tomorrow Always' engaged on the outside. Matt had upgraded the diamond chips to small diamonds. Alex closed the box and handed it back to Matt, saying, "You'd better hide that before she comes back." Matt did so and looked up at Alex, afraid to ask for a response. Alex said, "That set you back a little, huh? Looks expensive."

Matt shrugged, "I'm not really comfortable discussing money details. Let's leave it at saying that I wanted it to be special."

Alex continued, "Matt, I like you. You're a good kid. You make Charlotte happy and you treat her well. That's… uh… that's a really nice ring. I'm sure she'd love it." Then Alex narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Matt, "What's a promise ring mean to you? I never did all that." Alex censored himself from saying _all that crap_, but it's what he thought.

Matt stumbled over his response, "Well, umm…it's a way of declaring that we are together, a couple."

Jo approached the table and sat down, saying, "Hey guys. Where's Charlotte?"

"She's walking around with Matt's adorable little sister while lover boy here talks to me about promise rings," Alex stated.

Jo beamed and asked Matt, "You're going to give Spider a promise ring?! Do you already have it? Can I see it?" Matt handed the box to Jo and she examined the ring before declaring, "Wow, Matt, that is incredible."

Matt put the box back in his pack and sat nervously awaiting Karev's next words.

Karev finally broke the silence, "So it's like declaring you're a couple. Ok. What's that mean? Like you're kind of engaged or hoping to head that way or what?"

"I guess it's saying that we'd hope to go that direction but we know we're too young right now," Matt said, surprised at his own words.

"I think it's wonderful," Jo said as she put her hand on Matt's arm. "Alex?" Jo nudged him under the table and thought to herself, _Alex, don't be a smart ass, be nice._

"Are you two still going to… uh… wait?" Alex asked.

Before Matt could answer, Erin came running up and tugged on Karev's coat. Charlotte sat down next to Matt and greeted Jo.

Jo smiled toward Erin and asked, "And who is this? Hi, I'm Dr. Karev."

Erin looked puzzled and looked at Alex, "Isn't that _his_ name?" She was already back on Alex's lap and had boldly grabbed the pen light from his coat pocket.

Jo giggled and explained, "Yep. I'm his wife. We have the same last name, but his first name is Alex and my first name is Jo."

After Matt introduced Erin to Jo, Charlotte remembered Sheryl's invitation and asked Jo and Alex what their schedules looked like. They were actually both available the following Wednesday, although Jo was on call. They determined that Matt's house was close enough to the hospital that being there would still be in the acceptable boundaries for on call status, so plans were set via text with Sheryl.

Alex's pager sounded and he announced to Erin, "Hey, kiddo, I'm sorry but I need to go. Sounds like I'll see you next week, though. Maybe you can sit on my lap again, ok?" Erin smiled and took Alex's seat when he stood up, her legs dangling. As Alex left the table, he said to Matt, "Oh, hey, I wanted to introduce you to my friend who is a JD-MD. Why don't we do that now on my way to answer this call?"

Matt stood up and followed Alex. Before Matt could clarify the situation that Alex had made up, Alex said, "So walk with me while I respond to this page. I've got something to talk to you about."

"Ok," Matt said uneasily, adding, "You know, if you're opposed to the ring, Dr. Karev, I'll respect that and I won't give it to her."

Meredith was standing at the elevator already, but didn't say anything because Alex was with some kid. As Alex pushed the elevator button multiple times, he said with a hint of intimidation, "Did I say I was opposed to it?" Matt shook his head.

Meredith thought to himself, _Hmmm…I wonder if this is the boyfriend._

The elevator opened and was empty. Meredith, Alex and Matt all walked in. Alex leaned against the back bar and said to Matt, "What I was gonna say is that I think you should give it to her sooner. Homecoming is a big deal on its own. Pick some day closer. That's all. That's what I was thinking."

"Oh, and one more thing," Alex added as the elevator stopped at his floor. "Why don't you guys go on a few dates before Homecoming? Why wait?"

Matt unintentionally let out a big breath as a weight was lifted off his shoulders, "Thanks, Dr. Karev. Really. Umm… wow. Thanks."

"Yeah," Alex said flippantly. Then very seriously, he added, "Just don't disappoint me, Matt. That's all I ask. Don't let me down, dude."

Meredith walked off the elevator and followed Alex, asking, "Was that the boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Alex said in a perturbed tone.

"Please tell me that 'give it to her sooner' wasn't about sex," Meredith responded.

"Geez, Mer, really? This is my kid we're talking about," Alex groaned. Then he joked dryly before entering the PICU, "Is that all you ever think about?"


	20. Chapter 20 - Promises

**Charlotte's Web**

**Chapter 20 – Promises**

Friday night came quickly and Charlotte was looking forward to babysitting and staying at Derek and Meredith's that night. Derek picked Charlotte up at school that afternoon and they headed out to the house. Having her stay the night when she babysat and then having everyone gather the next day for brunch had become a ritual.

When Derek drove up, he saw Charlotte right away. Charlotte did not spot him, likely because she and Matt were too busy kissing. Derek busied himself on his phone to keep from watching the lovebirds. A minute or two later, Charlotte opened the passenger door and greeted Derek, "Hi, Dr. Shepherd."

"Hey, Charlotte," Derek said absentmindedly as he set his phone down and began to drive. "How was school? Good week?"

"Pretty good, yeah," Charlotte responded. "I'm still struggling with Chemistry. I think I'm giving up on becoming a nurse – if I can barely pass Chem, it's probably not the job for me."

"Do you like biology?" Derek asked.

"I love Bio and I've already taken anatomy and physiology classes and earned As," Charlotte explained.

"Well," Derek offered, "I'll bet you could find programs that don't require Chem. And if the program you want does require Chem, doing well in your other classes can help balance out a lower grade. What is it about nursing that excites you? Have you ever considered med school? Or another line of medically-related work?"

"I've always been interested in the patient interaction and hands-on part of nursing. People have told me that nurses have more of that than doctors. Plus there's the huge loans for med school and the liability insurance," Charlotte reflected.

Derek breathed out, "Yep, all true. You'd be a great doctor, though. You have a calming presence."

"Aww…thanks, Dr. Shepherd. That's so nice," Charlotte said as she gazed at him. Even after all these years of knowing Derek, she still loved an opportunity to look at him and take in his handsome face.

"It's true," Derek reiterated. "You know, I think nursing might be less competitive and intense overall too. Depending on the type of nursing, your job might still be stressful or contentious. Even so, overall, I think nurses tend to support one another and work as part of a team better than most doctors."

Charlotte continued to look at Derek and listen. He continued, "Then, there's always other related fields like being a pharmacist or a fund raiser for a medical cause or an administrator. I tried administration and absolutely hated it – I need to be in the OR and in the research lab to be happy."

"It sounds like it's all about finding the right fit," Charlotte reflected.

Stopped at a red light, Derek turned to look at Charlotte and grinned, "I think so."

Charlotte was glad she wasn't standing because her legs had just turned to jello when he grinned at her. She smiled back and looked out the window. When they boarded the ferry, Derek suggested the go up on deck and grab an inside table so he could work on some paperwork and she could work on homework. Every now and then, Charlotte would ask for his input on an answer to one of her homework questions. Derek thought to himself, _I can't wait until Zola and Bailey are this age and I can help with homework like this._

As Derek pulled up to the house, Meredith was playing in the autumn leaves in the front yard with Zola and Bailey. They were all bundled up, jumping into piles of leaves, and laughing.

Charlotte asked, "Oh, hey, Dr. Shepherd, it is ok if a friend comes over tonight to work on homework once the kids are in bed?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," Derek answered as the two of them got out of the car and headed toward the leaves.

Charlotte played with the kids after dinner, then bathed them and put them to bed. She'd texted Matt earlier to provide him an ETA. She told him not to knock or ring the bell since she didn't want to wake the kids. Instead, she left the door unlocked. After all, she concluded, she was in the middle of nowhere and the nearest person was the Chief of Surgery further up on the property. The only concern she had was that she'd run into a bear or some other creature, and she was certain bears couldn't open front doors.

Matt walked in as Charlotte was cleaning the kitchen. She was wiping up a counter and had her back to the door when he entered, saying playfully, "Hi, honey, I'm home." Charlotte giggled as Matt walked over and gave her a hug. She turned around and they began to make out and run their hands all over each other.

Charlotte, mumbling between kisses, suggested, "We could go over to the couch – might be more comfortable." They walked to the couch hand-in-hand. Matt sat down, threw his shoes off, and put his feet up as Charlotte put a pillow on his lap and lay down. He stroked her hair and she gazed up at him with adoration.

"Someday, Charlotte Sofia, this could be our life. Beautiful house in the scenic woods, laying down together once the kids are in bed, making love," Matt said with wistful assurance.

Charlotte smiled up at him and said softly as she ran her hand on top of Matt's shirt, "I'd like that. I really would."

"I have a surprise for you," Matt admitted as he continued to stroke her face and hair. "Do you want it now or later?"

Charlotte looked at Matt with delight, wondering what he was up to, "Now, please. But I don't have anything to give you… I feel bad."

Matt leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Nah…stop that. It's not that kind of surprise." Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, holding it in a fist as he articulated his love, "Charlotte… Spider… you are the most amazing, wonderful, incredible person who has ever come into my life. You are beautiful and funny and precious. I love you so much and I'm hoping you'll want to wear this promise ring so everyone in the world will know how much we love each other." Matt grasped Charlotte's hand, removed the purity ring that was on her ring finger, and placed the promise ring in its place. He slipped the purity ring in his pocket so it wouldn't get lost. He planned to give it to her later once the moment had passed. Thanks to some prior detective work, the ring fit perfectly.

Charlotte's eyes widened with elation as she gasped and sat up to kiss Matt. She alternated between kissing him, admiring the ring, and saying, "I love you, too."

After this routine played out 5 or 6 times, Matt laughed and said, "I still had something I wanted to say."

Charlotte grinned and teased, "Ok, keep it coming. You've been doing great."

"I just want you to know that I asked your dad before I gave this to you. He put me through a mini-version of hell, grilled me about whether or not we'd had sex, and tried to intimidate me. But by the time we were done talking, he was really supportive of the ring and me giving it to you."

"Are you serious?" Charlotte asked in disbelief.

"Serious. I was going to give you the ring at Homecoming but he suggested I do it sooner. He also said we should go out on some dates before Homecoming. I don't know how we did it, Spider, but he finally seems to be chilling out," Matt shared.

Charlotte began unbuttoning Matt's shirt and ran her hands on his chest and back. Matt slid his hand under Charlotte's sweater and undid her bra like the master he'd become over the last few months. In the past, the caressing had always stopped above the belt. On this night, they threw a blanket over themselves and loosened their jeans as they caressed and kissed.

Matt gently pulled away from Charlotte's lips, looked in her eyes with love, and suggested, "You really need to babysit more often." They both laughed and resumed kissing. Matt reached down and slid off his jeans, then reached for Charlotte's jeans and asked, "Is this ok?" as he kissed her.

Charlotte said, "Yes, I'm just worried about getting caught."

Her jeans hit the floor as Matt kissed her then asked, "It's only 9:00. When do they usually get home?"

"Not until at least 1. I think midnight's the earliest they've ever been home," Charlotte recalled.

Matt eased Charlotte's body so she was laying down and he snuggled part way on top of her and part way to the side, each of them with just a thin layer keeping them from being completely naked. Matt mumbled as he kissed Charlotte and ran his hands along her body, "Then we have plenty of time, right?"

Charlotte put her hand onto Matt's face and said, "This is as far as we can go, Matt."

Matt confirmed, "I know, babe, I know. We've talked about this. I agree." He slipped his hand under her panties and asked as he kissed her body, "Is this ok? I mean, we've done it before just not when we were undressed."

"It's amazing, Matt," Charlotte purred as she kissed his forehead.

The lovebirds lost track of the time as they enjoyed each other's company and dozed off in each other's arms. At 11:30, Matt woke up with a start and woke Charlotte up, "Babe, it's 11:30." He rushed to get dressed as he spoke until Charlotte woke up and did likewise.

Charlotte went into the bathroom to check her hair and makeup. By the time she returned, Matt was put together and had managed to fix his hair. Matt kissed her and explained, "I'd better go in case they come home soon."

Charlotte nodded and hugged and kissed Matt before he left. "I love you," they said to one another before he left.

Charlotte surveyed the living room and noticed it showed little evidence of what had happened earlier. She rearranged some pillows and folded up the blanket, setting it where it had been when she arrived earlier in the day. She made sure all the clothes had made it onto each of their bodies and that nothing was on the floor or table, then she scurried into the guest room to go to bed.

As Matt drove off the property in his mom's Cayenne, Owen and Amelia were talking outside the trailer. They had just finished a long shift and were finishing the conversation they had started in the car on their way home. Amelia noticed the car and said, "That's weird."

"What?" Owen asked.

"Derek and Meredith have Karev's daughter babysitting and staying over tonight. They left a long time ago, but Derek just drove away and it's nearly midnight. Where could he be going?" Amelia said in a puzzled voice.

Owen shrugged his shoulders and offered, "Maybe he's on call and had to go in."

"No. I set the on call schedule. Nelson's on call this weekend. He ticked me off the other day so I assigned him the whole weekend," Amelia explained factually.

"I don't know," Owen stated. "Now, shall I walk you home?"

"I'm good. Thanks, but I'm good. Thanks for the ride, too. I'll see you," Amelia said as she excused herself.

The next morning around 9am, Charlotte helped Meredith get the kids dressed and fed as Derek and Amelia finished getting ready. Everyone had slept in and the morning was slow paced rather than frenzied like it often was on a workday.

Derek came out, looking amazing. His hair was styled but still wet. Charlotte wanted to swoon, then reminded herself of the ring on her finger. Meredith explained that Amelia was going to join them this morning and that Amelia had invited Owen. Derek called the café where they always met up with Karev and Jo after Charlotte had stayed over. He reminded them he needed a high chair for Bailey and requested 2 more seats at their table.

When they were ready to leave, everyone realized that they'd need to take two cars. Charlotte played with the kids while the doctors overthought a plan. Playing was much more entertaining than over analysis. In the end, Meredith went with Amelia and the kids in her car and Charlotte, Owen and Derek went in Derek's Cayenne. Charlotte couldn't make any sense out of why both couples rode separately, but she wasn't about to ask. If she did, she'd receive an explanation that was as complicated and boring as Jo and Alex's surgery discussions.

In the car, Charlotte asked, "Dr. Shepherd, do you mind if I catch up on some texting on the way?"

"Not at all. Why would I?" Derek asked in response.

"My dad doesn't like it when he's driving and I text. He thinks there should be conversation in the car instead," Charlotte explained. Then she clarified, "So, I'm used to not being able to. It's totally ok if you say no."

"Got for it, Charlotte. It's not a problem as long as Dr. Hunt and I can talk shop," Derek chuckled.

As Charlotte texted quickly in the back seat, she answered without looking up, "Sounds like the perfect arrangement to me. You talk surgery, I'll type texts. And my dad will discover that the world kept spinning when we tried that." The doctors laughed and Owen made a remark about how Charlotte was Karev-lite. Derek added that she was much prettier and friendly too. Charlotte just about melted into her seat when she heard that come out of Derek's mouth.

Everyone made it to the café and gathered around the table. Alex stood up when he saw his daughter and hugged her. Then he took a step back and studied her face, "You look different somehow."

Charlotte looked at him like he was crazy, "I do? Dad…it's only been like 24 hours or so since we've seen each other."

Alex kept studying her then pulled out the chair next to his. As Charlotte grabbed the napkin to put it on her lap, Alex nudged Jo who was seated to his left. He'd spotted the ring, then leaned over to Jo and whispered, "Is it ok to mention the ring or will she freak?"

Jo whispered back, "Follow my lead. Let's be subtle."

Reaching behind Alex's back and tapping Charlotte's shoulder, Jo pointed to her own ring finger then tipped her forehead and smiled. Charlotte smiled back and nodded. Jo pointed to Alex and mouthed, "Tell him!" Charlotte shook her head and mouthed, "Not now." Jo nodded.

A few minutes later, she grabbed a pen and began to write. Alex incorrectly assumed Jo was giving him the go ahead. As Jo wrote on a napkin, _Wait til home, _Alex said in regular volume, "Spider! Hey, what's that on your finger?"

Charlotte looked behind Alex's back and widened her eyes toward Jo. Jo grimaced and closed her eyes tightly.

A few chairs down, Amelia looked at Derek and asked, "So where did you go last night around midnight? I saw you leaving when I came home from the hospital."

Derek cocked his head and said, "At midnight, Mer and I were at Tola's eating dessert. We didn't get home until after 1."

Amelia answered, "I'm sure I saw your car drive out around midnight."

With brotherly sarcasm, Derek lowered his brow and said, "You didn't see me or my car, Amy. Maybe you've got a tumor, Amy, and you're beginning to hallucinate. Let me drill into your brain after brunch."

Alex looked at Charlotte, who was avoiding her father's gaze and quietly eating.


	21. Chapter 21 - Truth Be Told

**Charlotte's Web**

**Chapter 21 – Truth Be Told**

_**Note to readers: I'm starting to feel like I'm in a funk with this series. I think Ch 22 is starting to get me back in the groove. Stick with me and provide any ideas, hopes, and feedback – the April/Charlotte convo came from a request! **____** I know a bunch of you would like to see Jo get pregnant…I'm considering that, but haven't decided yet.**_

On their way out of the restaurant and while Charlotte was saying goodbye to Zola and Bailey, Alex and Jo quickly made a plan about how they were going to talk with Charlotte about Amelia's conversation with Derek. In the car on the way home, Jo began the conversation as she reminded Charlotte about the cell phone rule.

"Spider, let's put the phone away and engage here," Jo stated.

Charlotte complied but acted distracted, "Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry." Charlotte put her phone on silent and placed it in her purse, then gazed out the window.

Jo continued, "So how was your night last night?"

Smiling broadly, Charlotte reported, "Great. The kids were a blast and really cooperative. They went to bed easily. It was a breeze."

"Nice," Jo said in a measured pace. Jo let silence linger and Charlotte returned to looking out the window.

Alex asked, "So, Spider, I know the ring is on your finger. I knew beforehand that Matt was going to give it to you, but I haven't heard the story."

"Story?" Charlotte inquired.

"You know, tell us about when he gave you the ring. Let's hear the dirt, the story," Alex encouraged.

"Oh," Charlotte said. "Well, Dad, that was kind of a couple thing, you know? Too weird to discuss with my parents."

"Just give us a little taste – just a tidbit." Jo encouraged.

"He was pretty adorable," Charlotte described. "He told me he had a surprise for me and asked if I wanted it then or later. I chose right then and there. He told me I was amazing, beautiful, funny. Stuff like that. Then he asked if I'd accept the ring."

"That sounds really sweet," Jo exclaimed.

Alex commented, "Sounds like good chick talk – chicks like all that, right?"

"Yep," Jo said.

"Where's your other ring – the one Kepner gave you?" Alex asked.

Charlotte was authentically unsure. In all her excitement, she hadn't realized Matt slipped it off her finger last night. She shared, "That's a really good question, Dad. Crud, I have absolutely no idea. Can I text Dr. Grey and ask her to keep an eye out for it? Maybe I left it in the bathroom or something."

"Yeah, I guess," Alex allowed. "But just that one text not conversations with everyone under the sun."

Charlotte texted Meredith. Meredith texted back that she'd look around and let Charlotte know. Relieved to no longer be in conversation with her parents, Charlotte leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.

"Spider, where were you when he gave you the ring?" Alex asked.

Charlotte, pretending to be asleep, didn't respond. Alex called her a little louder, "Hey, Charlotte!" Then Alex turned to Jo, "What's up with her? Why isn't she answering?"

Jo turned around, "She's asleep." Jo winked at Alex to signal that she wasn't convinced.

Alex decided to push a little. He asked Jo, "So what was up with the conversation between Amelia and Derek?" In his heart, Alex wanted to give Charlotte a chance to fess up that Matt had been over. Jo chose not to respond, so the question hung in the air.

He pulled in to the driveway and said loudly, "Charlotte, we're home. Wake up."

Charlotte smiled and pretended to be waking up, saying, "Oh, thanks, Dad. Man, I didn't sleep well last night, I think I'm going to go nap."

"How about you stop in the living room first and we'll sit down and talk," Alex suggested in a tone that indicated it wasn't really a suggestion.

"I'm pretty tired, can't we catch up when I wake up?" Charlotte attempted as they approached the door.

Alex frowned and responded, "Ah…no. Living Room. Now."

Charlotte sat down in the Living Room and stretched, trying not to indicate that her mind was fearfully going a million miles an hour. Obviously, Alex was fried about something.

Jo and Alex sat down next to each other and looked at Charlotte without saying a word. Charlotte looked to her left and to her right, widened her eyes and then looked at her parents, "What's going on? This all feels weird."

Alex asked, "Charlotte, is there anything you want to tell me?"

"What do you mean?" Charlotte inquired as she lowered her brow.

"Just what I said, is there anything you want to tell me? Tell us?" Alex repeated.

Jo added, "Anything we should know?"

"Ummm," Charlotte paused, genuinely confused, "Like what? Like about the time I cheated on a test in 5th grade? Or the time Mom – first Mom – punished me for cussing and then cussed at me as she was lecturing me? I truly, honestly don't get what you guys are asking."

"The car, Charlotte Sofia. The car that Amelia saw, it was Sheryl's, wasn't it? Did Matt come over to Mer's last night?" Alex asked as he bore his eyes into hers.

Charlotte looked like it was no big deal and like she was confused, "Yeah, for a while. He helped me with homework after the kids went to bed. I asked Dr. Shepherd beforehand, and he said it was ok. You can ask him, Dad. Seriously."

"You asked Derek?" Jo asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Charlotte confirmed, "Since I was staying at their house that seemed to make sense."

Alex nodded slowly, "I'm missing something here, Charlotte. Since you were at Mer's, you thought our rules at home didn't apply?"

"Huh? Honestly, Dad, I didn't think it though that far. I see what you're saying – I was alone with Matt and that is not something you allow. I'm really, truly sorry I didn't ask you also," Charlotte explained.

"How long were the two of you alone?" Alex asked.

Charlotte looked up as she thought and tried to figure out the honest answer, "Let's see. He left around 11:30. I don't know exactly what time he came over. The kids went to bed around 8, so he was probably over for about 3 hours."

"Three hours is a long time. What did you guys do all that time? I don't even want to imagine what could happen in three hours," Alex declared with mounting anger.

Charlotte answered slowly, thinking Alex had lost his mind. "We worked on homework, Dad. Nasty, rotten, horrible Chem. I've got it in my back pack if you want to see it – my most recent notes have his examples and my work on them, let me show you."

"I don't want to see them, Charlotte. The notes or homework aren't the point," Alex stated.

"Then what is? Dad, I'm not getting what's going on here. Honestly, I'm not getting why you're so extreme right now." Charlotte became increasingly intense and defensive as she spoke.

Jo responded when she heard Alex take in a huge breath and saw him clench his fist, "Charlotte, the issue is that we have rules. The rules have been clear and in place for a long time. They aren't vague. We expect you to respect them and follow them. The issue is that you and Matt were alone for 3 hours. What's the rule here at home?"

"That you or Dad need to be home if Matt's here," Charlotte answered with calm resignation.

"Right," Jo confirmed, "So you were fully and completely aware you were ignoring our rules last night."

"Like I already said to Dad, I didn't think it though that far. I thought asking Dr. Shepherd was ok because it was his house, just like I follow Sheryl's rules at Matt's house. Sheryl has some rules that we don't have, but I respect and follow them when I'm there," Charlotte explained.

Jo looked seriously at Charlotte and asserted, "Look, kiddo, I basically raised myself. I can see through just about anything. If you don't want to talk openly about this, just tell me, but whatever you do, don't lie."

"I'm not lying," Charlotte yelled. Then she lowered her voice and pled, "I'm being honest – I told you that I asked Dr. Shepherd and that, yes, Matt came over. How is that lying? I feel like you guys _think_ you know something that didn't even happen. What's your concern? I will honestly answer you." Charlotte's face was turning red and her eyes were becoming glossy, but she was determined not to cry or yell.

Alex took in a few more deep breaths, "No messing around here, Charlotte. What should we know about last night?"

Charlotte looked Alex right in the eye, trying to convince him she wasn't hiding anything (even though she wasn't about to tell him about making out and undressing), "Dad, Matt came over, he helped me with my Chem. Did we kiss? Yes, we did. I won't lie. We did not have sex, we did not throw a party, we did not go wild, ok? We did homework and hung out." Charlotte's words had become more clipped the longer she felt as though her parents assumed she was guilty until proven innocent.

"Spider, where were you when he gave you the ring?" Alex asked.

"At Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Grey's house. Why? He gave it to me last night," Charlotte answered honestly.

"What happened next?" Jo asked.

"After he gave me the ring? I got a little teary and we kissed. We made out, ok? Geesh." Charlotte folded her arms and raised her voice, insisting, "I've already told you we didn't have sex, what else can I say to convince you I'm not some horrible, problematic, slutty kid? I honestly thought asking Dr. Shepherd was ok because…"

"Stop. I'm not buying it. That is the lamest excuse you've ever created," Alex yelled.

Charlotte pursed her lips, tightened her jaw, and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Alex. She blinked for a solid five seconds and then opened her eyes and looked at Jo. Charlotte pled, her voice shaking and not matching her strong non-verbals, "Mom, can I please finish what I was trying to explain?"

"Yes," Jo said, her face as serious as a heart attack.

Charlotte continued to look directly at Jo, feeling that Alex was a lost cause at this point, "I asked for permission ahead of time. Dr. Shepherd had no problem with it. If I'd been trying to be sneaky, I wouldn't have asked. I was trying to be honest and open. I don't understand why you're both so incredibly angry with me." Charlotte concluded with 3 audible deep breaths, trying desperately not to cry. The sounds of the accompanying sighs quivered.

Alex yelled, "Go to your room. I need to calm down, and I need to talk to your mom."

Charlotte yelled back, "What did I do?! I don't get why you're so angry, Dad. Would you please explain it to me?!"

Alex said sharply, "Go to your room. Shut the door and don't come out of your room until one of us comes to get you, got it?" Charlotte silently got up, grabbed her backpack and purse, and headed toward the stairs at a normal pace.

Out of anger, Alex bellowed, "I asked if you understood, Charlotte Sofia."

Charlotte stopped, turned so she was facing Alex, and responded with a quivering voice, "Yes. I understand." Then she turned toward the stairs and headed upstairs.

"Good," Alex yelled. "Then get your ass up there. I don't want to see you, hear you, talk to you or interact with you."

Jo said softly so Charlotte couldn't hear, "Alex, that crossed the line."

Alex ran his hands in his hair and closed his eyes, "Yeah, I know. Damn."

Jo suggested that Alex go for a run before the two of them discussed how they wanted to handle the situation. He bounded up the stairs to change. Charlotte held her breath waiting for him to storm into her room and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him go back down the stairs and out the door.

Jo sent a text to Meredith that read, _Interesting talk with Char. Ends up BF was over. Did you know?_

Meredith had her hands full of Play Dough when the text came through and asked Derek to take a look at it. He responded to it, typing, _Derek knew and said OK. C asked. _He didn't want Charlotte to get in trouble, so he didn't admit she'd asked if a "friend" could come over. He was frustrated with her that she'd been vague when she asked, but some of the blame for the miscommunication was in his court as far as he was concerned. _Poor kid, _he thought to himself. He planned to talk to her about the situation next time he saw her.

Meredith laughed as she looked at Derek, whose face radiated disappointment, "You're answering my texts without my input now?"

Derek smiled and joined Zola and Mer at the table and said, "Sorry. It was Jo. She wanted to know if you knew that Charlotte's boyfriend came over last night. Charlotte asked me and I said it was ok, so I let Jo know that." Turning toward Zola, Derek said, "So what are we making? A brain? A liver? A heart?"

Zola said, "We're making a shoe." Derek nodded slowly and began his masterpiece.

Meredith said with a sly tone, "So you said that it was ok for a 17 year old to have her boyfriend over when nobody else was here?"

"Yeah," Derek admitted. "Good thing Zola's not a teenager yet, I guess."

"Derek," Meredith continued, "Don't you remember being an 18 year old boy? Looking back, would you have left you with a teenage girl alone?"

With a flirty smile, Derek admitted, "I would've been more worried when I was 22. At 18, I was still a band nerd with bad hair and pimples all over my face. I'm not sure any girl would've given me a second look then."

Zola interrupted, "Daddy, let's make worms." She began rolling her play dough. Derek joined in as did Meredith.

Meredith offered, "When he gave her permission to go to Homecoming, Alex told Charlotte that the dance was the first thing off the table if she did anything out of line. I hope he doesn't enforce that over this – sounds possibly sneaky, but more like a misunderstanding."

Back at the Karev's, Jo's phone rang and she answered.

"Jo," the sweet voice said, "Sheryl Bauer. How are you?"

"Hi, Sheryl," Jo responded, "Ummm…we're dealing with some sticky situations over here that involve Charlotte and Matt. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," Sheryl said sweetly. "Just don't let me forget that I'm calling about Wednesday. We need to figure out what time works best. I'm really looking forward to having you, Charlotte, and Alex over."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what we're going to do about that – it seems that our kids were together last night without any adults present," Jo explained. "Charlotte babysat for some friends of ours last night. We found out this morning that Charlotte invited Matt over once the kids were asleep."

"Ok," Sheryl said slowly. "As in, Charlotte and Matt were alone together? Is that what I'm hearing?"

Jo confirmed, "Yes, for about 3 hours."

"Well, I'm sure this is all some sort of misunderstanding. We both have great kids, Jo," Sheryl tried to rationalize.

"Apparently, our friend gave his permission, but our kids still ignored our rules. I thought you should know. If you knew something like this about Charlotte, I'd want you to let me know," Jo shared. "Alex and I sat down with Charlotte, but we haven't decided what to do yet. Technically, Charlotte knew that any issues would result in her attendance at homecoming being cancelled. I haven't had a chance to figure all this out with Alex yet."

"Oh my," Sheryl said with resignation. "I know for certain Matt was out last night. All he said was that he was going over to a friend's house. I'll talk with him and get back to you. Can we synchronize with each other about homecoming before we enforce anything with the kids? It would probably be best if you, Alex, and I had the same consequence on that."

"That's a great idea," Jo affirmed. "Let's be in touch."

Alex came in the door breathing heavily. "Who was that?" he asked as Jo finished her call.

"I just talked to Sheryl. We agreed to connect with each other before either us lays down the law with the kids," Jo explained.

Alex nodded and growled, "Good idea. The more I think about it, the more I want to throttle Matt. I know what 18 year old boys have on their minds and I don't want anyone picturing my daughter as part of it. And even after 5 miles, I still want to throttle Charlotte."

"Then stay away from her. She can stay in her room and stew," Jo offered. Alex nodded and went upstairs to shower.

As Alex approached his bedroom, Charlotte came out of the hall bath. When she saw him, she anxiously explained, "I'm headed right back to my room. I just needed to use the bathroom." Alex put up his hand and continued on to his room.

Charlotte checked her phone as she collapsed onto her bed. Matt had texted while she was in the other room. His text read, _Guess Mom and Jo talked. Jo told her I was over last night. What's going on?_

Charlotte wrote back, _Long story, can you talk? _Her phone was on silent so she watched for the screen to light up. If Alex or Jo heard the phone ring, they'd realize they hadn't confiscated it yet.

Matt called and Charlotte explained the breakfast and the fight she'd just had with her parents. She let Matt know what she'd told them, then suggested they get off the phone so they weren't overheard. Charlotte added, "I'm guessing my phone will be taken away any minute, so watch for my prepaid number instead, ok?" Last time Alex took her phone away, Matt bought her a prepaid phone so they could remain in touch. When Charlotte hung up, she cleared the call from her recent call list and deleted all the recent texts she'd exchanged with Matt.

Alex knocked on the door and asked if he could come in. Charlotte put her phone in her backpack as if she hadn't been using it and agreed. Alex stepped into the room a few steps and said, "Listen, I'm not talking about all this right now and, believe me, you don't want me to. Give me your phone, iPod, and the keys to your car." He walked over to her computer and removed the internet cable, then put his hand out and looked at the ceiling while he waited.

Charlotte gathered everything and handed the items to him. "Dad," she said softly, "I really didn't…"

Alex interrupted, "Charlotte. I clearly said I was not talking about this right now."

Bursting into tears, Charlotte exclaimed with full force drama, "Why won't you even hear me out? I'm not sure you've ever even loved me. You just took custody of me because you felt guilty."

Alex rolled his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked out the door. While heading downstairs, he tried to check the texts and calls, "Dammit," he grumbled when he saw there were no records for the day.


	22. Chapter 22 - The Return of Evil Spawn

**Charlotte's Web**

**Chapter 22 – The Return of Evil Spawn**

Later in the week, Meredith found Charlotte's purity ring on her couch. Derek had taken the kids for the afternoon, and Mer needed to run over to the hospital briefly. She decided to stop at Karev's and drop off the ring. She let herself in and entered to hear Charlotte screaming. Meredith peeked into the living room and saw Jo sitting on the couch looking up at the ceiling. Jo noticed Meredith and motioned her over to the couch. Charlotte's rampage continued as the two listened.

"…and I hate you! I absolutely, completely hate you!" Charlotte yelled at Alex. "My mom would've _never _done this to me. She cared about me. But you…You are ruining my entire life, you hate me, you've never cared about me, you never wanted me. All you know how to do is be suspicious, cruel, and over-protective. Your whole goal in life is to ruin my life!"

Alex, staying completely calm and gathering all his self-control to avoid rolling his eyes, stated evenly, "Charlotte, I'm not going to respond to that, except to say it needs to stop."

"So now you're not only controlling my time and my life, you're trying to control my words? What's next, mind control?" Charlotte raged.

Alex looked at her and said flatly, "Look, you're spiraling. I'm out. This is crap."

"I hate you, Dad! I really hate you. You are so mean," Charlotte screamed.

Alex walked down the stairs and saw Mer and Jo sitting on the couch and looking toward the stairs in anticipation. Alex looked at both of them and rubbed his hand along one side of his face slowly. He grimaced and shrugged, "Well, that went over really well."

Mer asked in jest, "I came just in time to hear that you're ruining Charlotte's life. How are you managing to do that, Alex? I'd like to take notes for future reference."

Jo, her arms folded, grumbled, "He just took away Homecoming."

"Ooohhhh," Meredith said with hesitation, "and we're… umm… not in agreement about this?"

Alex looked at Meredith seriously and asked, "What's up, Mer? Or did you just stop by to witness me reclaim the title Evil Spawn?" Jo excused herself and went into the kitchen. Alex looked at Mer and said, "Well, might as well start drinking now. You want something?"

Meredith laughed, "Alex, it's 4 in the afternoon!"

"So?" Alex retorted. "I'm not getting laid, I'm not on call, and I'm definitely specializing in ruining teenagers' lives, so what the hell? Let's drink."

"Want to head to Joe's?" Meredith asked playfully.

Alex chuckled, "Nah, I've got everything we need in the kitchen. Beer? Tequila? What's your pleasure?" Alex motioned his head toward the kitchen and both of them headed that way.

Turning the corner, they saw Jo sitting at the table talking on her cell. Alex walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer then looked at Mer inquisitively. She mouthed _beer_, so Alex grabbed another, opened it and handed it to her. Jo glared at her husband with a look of disgust as she stood up and walked out of the room.

Mer sat on a barstool and mused, "You know, Alex, I have to agree that you're a real ass for taking away homecoming."

"What the hell? Those two were alone at _your house_ for three hours. You know what had to have happened. C'mon," Alex grumbled as he poured some chips in a bowl and began eating them.

Meredith snickered, "Alex, just because that's what you would have done doesn't mean it's what Charlotte and Matt did. They're good kids. You were… umm… not such a good kid."

"And you were?" Alex snapped with a grin.

"This isn't about me," Meredith laughed. "It's about Charlotte and Matt. Do you really think they've done the nasty? I don't and neither does Derek."

"Of course they did," Alex scoffed. "They had 3 hours, Mer. Three hours! Hell, that oversexed rich kid probably only needed 3 minutes for his first time. Get real."

"Alex, overall, Charlotte is almost too good to be true. Besides, Kepner gave her this purity ring. Doesn't it have some sort of magic, sex-stopping powers?" Meredith asked, pulling the ring out of her pocket. "I found it on our couch. That's why I came over."

"Matt probably made her take it off before he banged her," Alex groused.

Meredith giggled as she shook her head, "You really are horrible. And your imagination knows no bounds."

"That's what you've always loved about me, admit it." Alex chuckled as he took a drink of his beer. They heard the front door open and close. Alex looked that direction with curiosity.

Jo came in to the kitchen looking both surprised and confused. She shared, "Alex, Charlotte just walked out the door."

"Why didn't you say anything to stop her?" Alex asked with frustration.

Jo ignored the question, "What should we do?"

"I know you're not asking me, but I'd say to let her go. She'll come back," Meredith offered.

Alex and Jo exchanged looks and Alex shrugged, "Good idea. If I don't follow her, I could disprove her theory that I'm trying to control her every thought, word, and move. Besides, where's she going to go? I've got her car keys."

"But Matt has a car, and I just got off the phone with Sheryl. She didn't take away Homecoming. In fact, she's handling this whole situation far differently – she just talked to him and shared her disappointment," Jo explained.

Alex looked back at Meredith and said, "Hmmm… maybe I _am_ an over-protective ass."

"If the title fits, Evil Spawn," Meredith grinned.

Jo went upstairs and saw that Charlotte had left a note in her room. It said that she was too upset to face her parents, but desperately needed to go for a run and would be back within an hour. In actuality, Charlotte ran two blocks away and met up with Matt.

As she hopped in his car, Charlotte said, "I'm pretty sure nobody came out of the house after I left. I looked back a few times."

Matt leaned over and kissed her quickly before saying, "Well let's get further away in case they come looking for you." Matt drove to a park about 3 miles away and parked the car. He looked at Charlotte and put his hand on her cheek as they sat in the car, saying, "Babe, you look so sad. Tell me what happened."

Charlotte rehashed the whole conversation and interchange with her dad, sharing that he took away Homecoming, was going to ask Jo to return the dress, and had grounded her for the next month. "Then, predictably, he took away my car keys, phone, and iPod. When I get home, I'll probably find out he relocated me to a tent in the back yard or some other ridiculous punishment."

Matt held her hand as she spoke and offered, "It's just a stupid dance, Spider. The next month will go fast. It will. We'll see each other at school and church."

"He told me no church, too. I forgot that part. What parent grounds their kid from going to church?! Yep, my unbelieving, unforgiving dad. What a controlling ass," she vented.

"I know you're mad, but you don't mean that," Matt said gently. "I'd do just about anything to have my dad back."

Charlotte sighed then responded with frustration, "I didn't mean it like that, Matt. Can't you just be furious alongside me instead of trying to make my overly-controlled life sound better than it is?"

"Do you want to fight with me, now? Is that what this is?" Matt said with his voice raised. Charlotte leaned over and kissed him as she began to cry. After kissing her and comforting her for a while, Matt sat back in his seat and said, "Is there anything I can do to make this any better?"

"Can I borrow your iPod? Then we can chat online and at least I can have some music," Charlotte asked, adding, "And maybe we can try to meet up like this whenever I think I can get away with it. I'll text you."

Matt kissed her forehead as he opened his glove box and handed her his iPod, "Ok. Now let's get you close to home so you have time to run before you go back inside." Matt dropped her off about 8 blocks directly up the street from her home, romantically offering to watch her every step of her run back home before he drove away.

When Charlotte reached the house, Alex was predictably waiting for her in the Living Room. To Charlotte's surprise, Meredith was sitting down chatting with him. Charlotte saw them as she walked past the window on her way to the front door. Alex raised his eyebrows and lowered his chin as he looked at her seriously.

When Meredith saw his expression, she commented, "Is she back?" Alex nodded. "Don't make a scene in front of me, Alex. I don't want to watch you two fight."

"I won't," Alex promised. Charlotte walked in and Alex called out, "Charlotte, Meredith brought something of yours over. Can you come in here?"

Charlotte entered the room, sweaty from her 'run.' She avoided eye contact with her father, but greeted Meredith, "Hi, Dr. Grey."

"Hi Charlotte," Meredith said gently. "Look what I found on our couch." Meredith held up the ring and handed it to Charlotte.

Charlotte smiled and commented, "Oh my gosh! Thank you. I'm so glad you found it. I'd give you a hug but I'm all sweaty."

Meredith nodded and smiled, "No problem."

Alex leaned over to try to be in the line of Charlotte's sight, asking nicely, "How was your run?"

Charlotte turned toward the stairs and answered as she walked away, "Nice. Excuse me, I'm going to shower. Thanks again, Dr. Grey."

Charlotte heard Meredith mumble to Alex, "You can't lay down the law, ruin her life, and then try to be her friend, Evil Spawn." Charlotte beamed as she heard Meredith admonish her dad.

Alex just answered, "Yeah, whatever."

The next three weeks were quiet but maddening. Charlotte basically shut herself off from her parents, using very brief responses such as 'thank you,' 'yes,' and 'excuse me.' Sequestered from the world, Charlotte spent nearly every minute in her room. Since the old stairs in the house creaked whenever anyone used them, Charlotte always had a heads up before anyone would be approaching. She was easily able to text or be on the internet with Matt's iPod without being caught.

By this point, the Homecoming dance had come and gone. Matt decided not to go because, as he told Charlotte, he didn't want to go without his girlfriend. Matt and Charlotte met up around the corner a number of times and were never caught. Often, Jo and Alex's schedules coincided and Charlotte snuck Matt in to the house. They would usually start in her bedroom but then stay in the kitchen where Matt could easily scoot out the back door and where they could hear the garage door open if either parent came home. Somehow, though, there was never even a close call during Matt's secret visits. Charlotte thanked God and Grey Sloan Memorial for her parents' regularly scheduled and predictable absences that Jo helpfully posted on the fridge for reference.

One evening, Alex came home around 7pm. After greeting Jo, he went upstairs to change. Charlotte's door was open and he spotted her laying on her bed just gazing at the ceiling. She had managed to not speak to him at all over the last three weeks. At times, that broke his heart; at other times, it infuriated him. Alex couldn't believe how much being a parent messed with his head and with his deeply buried emotions.

Deciding to offer yet another overture, Alex popped his head into her room and said nicely, "Hi Spider. How was school today?" Charlotte shrugged and turned on to her side so her back was to the door. "Ah," Alex said, "we're still determined not to interact with the horrible, controlling ass of a dad. That's too bad. I miss you."

Alex walked back into the hallway and headed to the hall bath. He closed the door, did what he needed to do, and went to the sink to wash his hands. Charlotte happened to hear the water turn on and then heard the bathroom door fly open. Alex flew out of the bathroom with a pregnancy test in his hand and screamed, "What the hell?! Would somebody care to explain?"


	23. Chapter 23 - Clarity and Confusion

**Charlotte's Web**

**Chapter 23 – Clarity and Confusion**

That mid-December evening in the Karev home was both as chilly as the unexpected snow that was causing chaos on Seattle's streets and as heated as the Deep South on a sultry, humid August day. Alex had just burst out through the bathroom door with a home pregnancy test in his hand, demanding to hear details. Without skipping a beat, Jo jumped up from the living room couch, threw her surgical notes onto the coffee table, and ran up the stairs at full speed. Charlotte, however, didn't move an inch. She was laying on her back, head draped off the foot of the bed. Neither Alex's scalding fury nor Charlotte's icy silence were at all comfortable.

Barging into Charlotte's room, Alex held the test up and asked angrily, "Did you hear me?!"

Charlotte remained in position and turned her head toward her father, flatly sharing, "Nearly impossible not to Dad." She moved her head back to shared straight ahead.

With veins bulging, Alex approached his daughter and knelt down directly in front of her hanging head. As he held the test stick a foot from her eyes, Alex hissed slowly through gritted teeth, "Charlotte … Sophia … Karev … what … the hell … is this?"

Charlotte burrowed the back of her head into the bed as far as it would give, uttering slowly and sharply, "I. don't. know…wha…" Jo reached the doorway and saw the scene, quickly imagining the words of her courtroom testimony if Alex did indeed kill their daughter in his fit of rage.

Alex remained close to Charlotte's upside-down face, interrupted her, and demanded as intensely as an angry drill sergeant, "Sit up."

Charlotte widened her eyes, slid backward on her bed, and scooted into the corner furthest from her father. She placed a pillow in front of her chest, folded her knees in front of the pillow and wrapped her arms around the front of her legs.

Jo intervened before Charlotte or Alex could continue their interchange. Stepping between her husband and daughter, she stated insistently, "Alex."

"Not now, Jo," Alex growled.

In the same voice and volume, Jo repeated, Alex." As she uttered his name, she grabbed onto the test he was clenching.

With a hardened jaw, Alex bore a steely glare into Jo's softened eyes. He took in a breath, raised one eye brow and looked down at the pregnancy test both he and his wife held. Charlotte, she and her pillow still squeezed deeply into the corner, silently watched in shocked fascination.

Softly, Jo said, "That's mine. May I see the result?"

Alex continued to grasp the test, standing dumbfounded as if frozen in time. He stammered, "This… but… this is… umm… a test…for pregnancy… a pregnancy test."

A smile took over Jo's face as she nodded affirmatively, "May I see it?"

Still astonished, Alex stuttered without releasing his grip, "Yeah…sure."

Jo laughed softly, "Alex, you need to let go. Let go of the test." He opened his hand and Jo looked at it.

Still shocked, Alex slowly looked down, voicing a weak and soft, "So?"

Jo pursed her lips and shook her head negatively.

"No it's not ready, no you won't tell me or no it's negative?" Alex asked, holding out a thread of hope.

"Not pregnant," Jo breathed, internally experiencing an enormous wave of relief.

"Oh," Alex forced out, leaving his mouth partly open after the sound has escaped. He sat on the edge of Charlotte's bed and began to ask slowly, "You thought you might be..."

Jo looked down at Alex firmly, "I think you owe Charlotte an apology."

"Yeah," Alex agreed, beginning to come out of his daze.

He smirked awkwardly, turned, and held out his arms toward Charlotte. Even though it didn't seem possible, Charlotte leaned further into the corner with her arms still embracing her knees, nervously saying, "Yeah, it's ok, Dad. Can I… uh… Could I please be alone?"

Alex sputtered out, "Spider, I'm sorry. Do you hate me now? Any way you can give your old man a hug?"

Stunned and uncomfortable, Charlotte said softly, "I don't hate you, Dad, but please give me some space."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Charlotte," Alex said hoping the tears he felt in his eyes were not evident to the others.

Charlotte said with a mixture of shock and belief, "I know, Dad. I know you are. Could I please be alone now?"

"We'll…we'll, uh, talk later?" Alex asked desperately.

"Yeah," Charlotte said vaguely.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I'm an ass," Alex said to nobody in particular as he stood up. "I'm. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, ok," Charlotte reassured. "Please, Dad, just go. I know you're sorry. Please let me be alone." Charlotte's heart was still beating rapidly and bursting through her chest for a myriad of reasons. She wasn't sure what to do next, but she _was_ sure that she wanted Matt's arms around her before she even considered moving.

Alex stepped to the doorway and looked back at Charlotte, quickly shifting his gaze away. Charlotte said with assurance but without attitude, "I need my phone. I… I need to see Matt."

Nodding but saying nothing, Alex walked into his room and grabbed Charlotte's phone from its hiding place. He turned around to take it to her when Jo met him in the hallway. Gently, Jo grasped the phone and said, "Let me. I'll meet you downstairs in just a minute." Jo leaned her head toward Alex and softly kissed his chest. Alex, a heavy bag of unsorted emotion, headed to the living room.

Jo knocked on Charlotte's door as she opened it. Charlotte was still sitting on her bed pressing deeply into the corner. Jo handed her the phone, and Charlotte grasped it slowly. Once in hand, Charlotte quickly began to call Matt.

"Wait," Jo ordered quietly but firmly as she looked directly at her daughter.

Charlotte looked at Jo and swallowed hard, intentionally and slowly setting the phone on the mattress. Jo threw the pregnancy test on Charlotte's bed, leaned toward her daughter, and said very quietly, "You owe me one hell of an explanation for saving your ass."

Jo held her fiery gaze toward Charlotte, before instructing her, "You can call Matt, you can talk for 5 minutes, but you cannot see him tonight. When you're done with the phone call, turn off the phone and put it under my pillow."

Haltingly, Charlotte nodded and spit out, "Ok."

Jo explained the next step in her plan, "I'll wake you up at 4:30 am before I leave for the hospital and before your dad is awake. We'll talk then."

"Yeah," Charlotte sputtered, "Ok. I'll… uh… I'll stay in here… all night."

"Yes, you will," Jo confirmed.

After Jo stepped out of Charlotte's room, Charlotte breathed in and out slowly for a few minutes. Her heart was pounding and her stomach was churning. Her head felt overly full but her body felt deflated. Without effort, tears poured from her eyes as she burrowed into the corner and continued to hold her knees tightly. She focused on her breathing until she could no longer feel her heart about to burst through her chest. All of the sudden, she felt a familiar sense of dread and knew what was coming. She ran to the bathroom and threw up repeatedly.

As she washed her face and tried to feel more steady both emotionally and physically, Charlotte replayed the events of the night. She felt as if no moment of this entire event had unfolded smoothly. Alex's yelling always bothered Charlotte, but tonight's experience shook her to the core. Charlotte was convinced that everything had disintegrated further at any turning point where the overall situation could have improved. In the aftermath of the yelling, fear, deception, and shock, Charlotte no longer recognized her life. In a span of not even two years, the calm, routine, and familiar Midwestern life she'd known for 15 years had become an emotional roller coaster with multiple twists, surprising turns, upward climbs, and plunging falls. The longer she thought, the more her mind spun.

Amidst the anxiety and flutter, she began to dwell in irrational absolutes and to embellish her memory of what had happened. Losing sight of the turning points that had indeed brought calm was not helping Charlotte cope. After becoming sick again, she leaned against the cool tile and waited for the clammy sensation to subside. Sensing herself emotionally spiraling, she tried to quell her sobbing as she walked back to her room and dialed Matt's number. He answered on the second ring, surprised to see that Charlotte was calling from her regular cell phone.

"Matt, I only have 5 minutes," Charlotte said between sobs.

"Ok, babe. You're crying," Matt acknowledged as he listened. "Spider, what's wrong?"

"I left the pregnancy test in the bathroom and my dad found it," Charlotte admitted.

Matt paused before responding, "Oh shit."

The pace of her words increased as Charlotte explained, "It gets worse. He went ballistic. I mean, screaming and stomping loudly. He came into my room in a rage. I had my head hanging off the bed upside down and he got about an inch from my face and totally screamed at me and scared me," Charlotte said as another wave of tears began to overtake her.

Matt was surprised by the intensity she described. Before attempting to calm her down, he sought to investigate the reality of what he was hearing. He softly asked "Spider, did he hurt you?"

"No, no, he didn't lay a hand on me, but I was terrified. He was screaming and getting in my face and then snapped at me to sit up. I got right up and worked my way into the corner of my bed as far from him as I could get. I didn't want to be anywhere near him," Charlotte's ongoing panic skewed her description of what had occurred. "Matt, it was really horrible and there's more."

"Ok, babe, ok. Slow … down," Matt realized that Charlotte was basically irrational and likely exaggerating. "Take a deep breath," he insisted as he waited to hear her. After about 30 seconds, Matt said with a slight hint of a gentle laugh, "Really, Spider, let me hear you breathe," Charlotte half laughed and half sighed as she breathed in and out audibly a few times.

Matt continued, "First things first. Do you feel safe?"

"He would never hurt me. I'm completely safe," Charlotte said more calmly.

"Ok, so let's start again. Need another deep breath?" Matt urged.

"Probably a few," Charlotte confirmed as she inhaled and exhaled intentionally and slowly.

Matt reassured her, "Take your time, babe. I'm right here."

After slowing herself down, Charlotte rehashed the fight from the beginning, "I left the test in the bathroom and my dad found it. He threw the bathroom door open and he yelled about it from the hallway. Then he came in my room and got in my face and asked me what it was."

"Uh huh," Matt responded calmly, "and then what?"

"Well, now that I think about it, then he interrupted me. He didn't really give me a chance to respond, so I didn't really give him an answer about the test. Then my mom came from the doorway and stood in front of him. She said the test was hers and my dad went from angry to stunned."

"Wait, what?" Matt asked with confusion, "She took a pregnancy test?"

"No, Matt," Charlotte clarified, "Jo came up while Dad was flipping. She stood between me and my dad and convinced him it was her pregnancy test. Jo acted like my test was hers."

"Oh, ok," Matt said, "so then what?"

"Then my dad apologized to me and I very gently asked him to let me be alone. He offered me a hug and I said no. Then he brought me my phone."

"What an f-ing mess," Matt groaned.

"Then," Charlotte began again.

Matt interrupted, "There's more?!"

"Yeah," Charlotte sighed. "Then my Mom came in here and threw the test on my bed and said she and I would talk tomorrow. I… I… I don't even know what to do next."

"Oh babe," Matt groaned, "I wish I could hold you right now."

"Me too," Charlotte cried.

"Do you want me to be there with you when you talk to her?" Matt offered.

"She's waking me up to talk at 4:30 in the morning. Are you sure you want to offer that?" Charlotte asked with a slight giggle.

Matt chuckled, "I'll be there if you _really _want me to, but sleeping is nice too."

"You don't need to be here, but it means a lot that you offered," Charlotte replied.

Matt asked with concern, "Spider, I'm worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"I dunno," Charlotte sighed, "Tired, overwhelmed, my chest hurts, and I just threw up again."

"Oh, babe," Matt responded, "as if this morning at school wasn't bad enough."

"I don't know what to do next, Matt," Charlotte repeated.

"Neither do I, but let's figure it out together, ok? I'm here." Matt declared.

"I'll text you later on the burner phone," Charlotte promised, "I need to hang up this one before we talk too long. I love you, Matt."

"I love you too, babe," Matt shared. "Charlotte?"

"Yeah," she asked.

"Text me anytime day or night. I'm here for you. I'll be praying all night, babe. I love you," Matt rambled.

"Me too, Matty. Me too. Bye," Charlotte said as she hung up. She looked down at the phone and let out a sigh of relief. The call had taken 4 minutes and 37 seconds. Charlotte stepped out of her room and peeked into her parents' room. When she saw they were not in there, she hurried to place the phone under Jo's pillow. After returning to her room, she flopped onto her bed and prayed she'd be able to sleep without getting up to be sick yet again.

After handing Jo the cell phone, Alex ambled down the stairs. He flopped on to the couch and lay on his stomach. He thought to himself, _I just need to empty my brain and breathe. I'll explode if I try to think about everything that just happened. _Being silent, overwhelmed, and emotionally exhausted, Alex began to doze off as he waited for Jo to come join him.

A bit later, after she'd confronted Charlotte and collected herself, Jo arrived and knelt on the floor beside the couch. She whispered, "Hey." Alex didn't flinch. She sat watching him and stroked her fingers on his hair a few times before resting the back of her hand on the back of his head for a few moments. Jo sighed heavily and attempted to make sense of all that had just occurred. Time passed and silence permeated the room as she searched for clarity.

When her folded legs became uncomfortable on the floor, Jo maneuvered her way onto the couch. She gently lifted Alex's head onto her lap as he continued to sleep. Once settled, Jo leaned back and rested her hand on Alex's chest. Her involuntary tears began to fall without effort. She wasn't sure if the tears represented relief, exhaustion, desperation, or confusion. She thought to herself, _All of the above and more. They are tears of a hundred different emotions swirling around. And without a doubt, the bigger ones are tears of guilt for lying to my husband. _Jo's lips began to quiver as she breathed in choppy bursts. She was no longer able to resist surrendering to the deeply buried emotions that had built up since Charlotte came into their lives. She squeezed her eyes closed and put her hand over her mouth attempting to mute the sounds of her sobs.

When he began to rouse nearly an hour later, Alex heard Jo crying. His heart sank as his sleepy, half-open eyes looked up at her. Alex gently began wiping away the tears on Jo's cheeks as he said softly, "Hey…what's all this?" Jo wiped her hand along her eyes and attempted a small smile. She looked down at Alex and some of her tears fell onto Alex's cheeks. They both softly laughed. As they both reached to wipe them away, their hands joined together and squeezed. Alex whispered with a sideways grin, "It's ok. I need a good cry too."

After holding hands and sitting together quietly for a few minutes, Jo maneuvered herself so she could stretch out alongside Alex. He threw the back cushions onto the floor to make more space as he anticipated her touch. Holding her with both of his strong arms tightly around her, he rested his chin on the top of her head. The comfort of one another's touch was all they needed in that moment.

"My arm is falling asleep," Jo groaned two to three minutes later.

Alex's body was on top of her arm as she embraced him. Although he knew she was referring to her right arm, Alex grabbed Jo's left arm that was stroking his right side. He knocked on it as if it was a door, saying as seriously as he could muster, "You need to wake up, arm. Jo needs you back." As he kidded, he also moved his torso so she could pull her right arm out from under him.

Laughing and shaking her head, Jo smiled and kissed Alex. Alex mumbled quietly, "Let's go upstairs, huh?" Jo nodded and quickly found herself being carried up the stairs. She leaned her head into Alex's shoulder and closed her eyes. Just being with him brought a glimpse of peace amidst the chaos.


	24. Chapter 24 - The Weight of It All

**Chapter 24- The Weight of it All**

After carrying the love of his life upstairs and gently setting her on the bed, Alex slowly made love to her. Her arms twisted tightly around his broad chest as she lifted her head to kiss him. When they weren't kissing, he was brushing his cheek against hers and whispering how much he loved her into her ear.

He collapsed on top of her as he finished. Quickly thereafter he heard her muffled voice beg, "Alex, you're too heavy." Keeping his eyes closed, he rolled onto his back but kept a hold of her body so that she ended up on top of him. Jo slid onto her side and propped her head up with her arm as her other arm rested atop his chest.

"Sometimes I wonder if Sophie is looking down on us and laughing at all the crap she didn't have to handle," Alex pondered aloud.

Jo laughed softly, offering, "When I'm really struggling with Charlotte, I imagine Sophie's gentle and wise face. It's almost like I pray to her and ask her what to say and do. As weird as it sounds, I swear it works sometimes. I can't explain it, but every now and then, I feel like she's right here with us."

"Well if she is," Alex added, "I wish she'd enlighten me every now and then."

Jo nuzzled into Alex's chest and stroked his upper arm, shoulder, and pecs as she laughed softly, "Maybe she's trying to get our attention and tell us to pull our heads out of our asses. Or maybe she's trying to shout down pointers about how to parent more intelligently and like she would have, but she can't get her voice to carry from Heaven to Earth."

"All highly likely," Alex chuckled. "Although if there is a Heaven and she's there, I'm not sure she would choose to watch the Chaotic Karev Family reality show. While it might be entertaining, it's not heavenly." After a minute or so of silence, Alex mused, "Maybe the people in hell are forced to watch it as they wince at our cluelessness and my rage."

Jo reassured her husband, "Alex, you're a great dad. Yes, you were a little intense tonight…maybe quite intense, but underneath the yelling was a dad terrified his little girl was making concerning choices and facing some serious consequences."

Alex tried to deny the truth as he rolled his eyes and attempted to blow off Jo's observation, "I'm not scared."

Jo moved up and supported herself on her lower arm. As Alex gazed toward the ceiling trying to convince himself he wasn't scared, Jo studied his face. She thought about how they both still held onto so many layers of protection to try to avoid being vulnerable even with one another. Jo whispered, "Ok. It was just a hypothesis."

"You know what she accused me of the other day? She was all upset and said I only took custody of her out of guilt. It was like she drove a stake through my heart," Alex shared.

"Oh, Alex…she's 16. She doesn't know what she's saying and doesn't understand how painful her words are. You realize that she succeeded at her goal, though, right?" Jo explicated.

"Huh?" Alex asked, completely befuddled by complex feminine ploys.

"She was hoping to hurt you by saying that crap. And she was upset. Don't give her overly-emotional, vengeful words any power. You know they're not true," Jo nearly insisted.

Alex was quiet as he considered Jo's insights, eventually saying, "Yeah. I guess I forgot who the grown up was." Then he thought about how he'd acted earlier when he approached Charlotte about the test. "And I really forgot to be a grown up earlier. I should've held it together," Alex admitted.

"It's called being human," Jo affirmed as she stroked his cheek softly. "Alex, Charlotte knows you love her and care about her even if she won't admit it aloud. For someone who took over when the kid was 15, you've jumped in with both feet and shown incredible effort and dedication."

"Thanks," Alex said as he kissed Jo's forehead, "you haven't done so bad yourself."They lay there silently for a few minutes before Alex added softly, "I love you, Jo."

She smiled and responded, "I love _you_, Alex Karev."

The peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of Charlotte running out of her room and to the bathroom. Alex raised his head and dropped it back onto the pillow, "What's that about?"

"Sounds like she's sick," Jo said with a puzzled look on her face.

"Should I go check on her?" Alex asked.

Jo suggested, "Let's give her some time. She'll let us know if she needs us." Jo looked at the clock and saw that it was after midnight. "Oh, man, I have to be awake in four and a half hours."

"Go to sleep," Alex told her. "I'll keep half an ear out for Spider."

The couple, completely and utterly exhausted, fell asleep holding hands as their daughter continued to lose the fight against her middle of the night nausea.

The clock read 4:30 far too quickly. Jo, her eyes half shut, dragged herself out of bed. She plodded across the hall and woke up Charlotte.

"Charlotte, we're going to talk soon. Wake up," Jo ordered.

Putting her pillow over her head, Charlotte groaned and agreed with hesitation, "Ok."

"I'm going to take a quick shower, then you can hang with me while I get ready to go," Jo explained. "So get up – it's gonna be a really quick shower. Oh, and I might just bring you with me to the hospital so grab something worthy of a field trip."

Charlotte stretched and sat up in bed. She noticed her stomach seemed to have calmed since last night. She had no idea if she should mention to her parents how sick she'd been lately. _It's probably just a touch of the stomach flu_, she thought. _If I tell them, they'll flip out and admit me to the hospital. _As Charlotte looked through her closet for something to wear, her burner phone lit up with a text from Matt that read, _thinking. praying. Im up._ Charlotte walked over and filled Matt in on the latest and told him she'd be in touch later.

Jo knocked and said, "How about if you take a shower in your bathroom while I'm getting ready in there?"

Charlotte, raised by the very modest Sophie for most of her life, was still trying to get used to Jo's comfort with naked bodies and sharing a bathroom. Most of the time, Charlotte was able to avoid the interactions easily. This time, she knew she was stuck. Luckily, Jo popped back into her bedroom to get dressed, giving Charlotte time to hop into the shower without an audience.

Jo came into the bathroom and said, "Well…" as she began to put on a little makeup.

"Well, what?" Charlotte said, as if not bringing up the subject would cause Jo to forget the topic of their planned conversation.

"Well… what should I know?" Jo asked. "You can make this easy or you can make it a challenge, but you know me well enough to appreciate my determination. So let's have it. Start talking."

Charlotte was actually thankful to be in the shower. It kept her from having to look at Jo face to face. She took in a big breath and said, "Before I start, I need you to promise me something."

"No guarantees I'll agree, but you can ask," Jo clarified.

"If I am totally and completely honest with you, can you let me be the one to talk to Dad?" Charlotte asked. "I really don't want you telling him what I'm about to say."

Jo paused and answered, "I'll promise not to tell him as long as you promise that you will."

"Guess I don't really have much choice. I promise," Charlotte responded. Via multiple texts, Charlotte and Matt had decided last night that they were going to be completely and fully honest and just face the music. Their shared faith informed the decision and their shared desperation confirmed it.

Charlotte began, "About a week or so ago, I asked Matt to buy a pregnancy test for me."

"Can we back up to why you'd need that?" Jo asked.

"This is the best place to start. Trust me," Charlotte assured.

Jo sarcastically responded, "Now that is a peculiar request, isn't it? Trust you? Anyway, go ahead."

Resuming the summary, Charlotte said, "My plan, and please don't react until you hear the whole story, was to pretend I needed the test just to mess with Dad. I was hoping he'd find it and be mad and then I could point out how he immediately assumed it was mine and immediately thought the worst about me." Charlotte paused as she rinsed her hair, then resumed, "Matt was really unhappy with my idea and really leaned on me to not move forward. He said that it was devious and deceptive. We talked about it in terms of faith and we prayed about it together. The more I thought about it, the more I agreed not to do it."

"But you did," Jo stated. "You did end up using the test and flipping out Dad."

"Well, kind of. This is one of the parts when I really, really need you to not react, ok?" Charlotte hesitated.

Jo confirmed, "I will not react." Jo thought to herself, _Pretend she is a patient with a stunning confession. Maintain your game face. Say nothing._

Charlotte confessed, "A few times when you and Dad have both been at work…ummm… Matt has come over and we've hung out. One day, we… well… we were making out and it just sort of happened. Seriously, we hadn't discussed changing our commitment to our virginity. But we were snuggled together and, well, we sort of ended up… umm… a little more connected than we'd ever been." Charlotte paused, wanting to make sure nothing was going to come flying through the shower door.

"It just sort of happened?" Jo asked, trying to sound more doctorly than motherly.

"I can get more detailed if you want, but that feels a little awkward, Mom," Charlotte admitted.

Jo encouraged, "Humor me." Jo thought to herself, _I refuse to make this easy on her._

Charlotte looked up at the ceiling, thankful that she was still sequestered in the shower. "That particular day, you two had been gone about an hour. I was waiting for Matt to come over, and I turned on the TV. The channel was set to the news and they were reporting a huge car accident. The reporter said everyone was being sent to Grey Sloan. When Matt arrived, I knew we had time on our side. We started making out on the couch, we ended up going to my bedroom. At first, we just made out, then we slipped our hands under each other's clothes. Next thing we knew, we were naked under the blankets. We'd never gone that far before but we both just sort of didn't say anything. We kept kissing and stuff and then, really, I mean without intentionally trying, he just sort of began to slide in and well, we kind of just kept going."

"I see." Jo said without emotion. "We need to get to the hospital. You want to jump out, get dressed and meet me downstairs? You can tell me the rest on the way in."

Charlotte did as Jo suggested then went downstairs. Jo handed Charlotte a sandwich and explained, "Breakfast on the go. Welcome to the life of a resident. Oh, and by the way, school is cancelled so you can spend the whole day with me at the hospital." Jo concluded her last phrase with a cat-ate-the-canary smile knowing she once again had the upper hand in the relationship.

"Great," Charlotte said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

The snow covered the streets like a smooth and pure blanket as the dark skies provided a murky backdrop. Jo, fairly comfortable driving in the snow, suggested Charlotte continue her tale.

"Actually," Jo said, "before you continue the story, how about if you provide a summary? Just to make sure we're on the same page." Jo thought to herself, _I'll be damned if I don't make her actually say 'sex' or 'intercourse.' Oy…this is unbelievable._

Reluctantly, Charlotte summarized, "In order of how it happened: I was grounded, you guys were both at work and I knew you'd be there a long time. Matt came over, we started kissing and stuff…"

Jo interrupted, "Stuff? Like what kind of stuff?"

"Mom!" Charlotte exclaimed, "This is awkward enough. I'm already telling you more than most of my friends would tell their moms. C'mon."

"Just curious," Jo smirked.

"So then it just sort of happened and…"

Again, Jo stopped Charlotte and wanted clarification, "What sort of happened? You lost me."

"You know…" Charlotte offered.

"What?" Jo asked feigning confusion. She thought to herself, _If this wasn't our daughter talking, Alex would be proud of how I'm pushing her. Hell, he might even be proud knowing it is Charlotte._

"Sex. We had sex. Sexual intercourse. Like his penis went into…" Charlotte said, her direct and feisty inner Alex coming to the fore.

Interrupting yet again, this time out of her own discomfort, Jo held up her right hand and said, "Ok. Got it."

Charlotte picked up on Jo's unsettled feelings and played the same game Jo had been playing. The Karev family practices were in full swing. Charlotte continued, knowing exactly where she'd left off, "my vagina."

"Aaaaannnndddd….there we go," Jo said throwing her right hand into the air. "Continue."

Charlotte took a second to remember the order of the rest of her summary, "One day, Matt and I were talking about whether or not I could be pregnant and I blew him off thinking there was no way. Then I came up with that rotten plan to try to trap Dad into assuming the worst about me."

Jo interjected, "Or, actually, if I'm tracking all this, assuming the truth about you, right?"

Charlotte swallowed hard and looked down at her lap, responding very softly, "Yeah, I guess so."

"What was that?" Jo asked just to make her daughter squirm all the more.

Charlotte cleared her throat and, still looking down, said a little louder, "I guess so."

Jo nodded and Charlotte continued, "So I think that's that." Charlotte hoped that she wouldn't have to admit that she was now sincerely worried that she might be pregnant.

"That covers the summary, but then why did you take the test yesterday? I thought you said Matt had talked you out of your little trap of deception," Jo said with the same tone she used to deliver surgical explanations to patients.

"Right. He did," Charlotte confirmed, hoping again to be able to stop there.

"Soooo….you changed your mind and decided to trap your dad after all? Or you took the test just to see what that experience was like? Or what?" Jo asked with false curiosity.

Charlotte swallowed and looked out the passenger window, "I haven't had my period yet. I'm three weeks late."

Unable to hold back her reaction, Jo gasped at the amount of time Charlotte was late. Jo was surprised Charlotte had been carrying this around with her alone all those days. Trying to remain focused, Jo attempted to turning safely in to the icy and slippery hospital parking lot. Since being married to an attending had its sublime benefits when she had to be at the hospital on a snowy, cold, dark morning, Jo proceeded to park in Alex's spot. Jo turned the engine off, leaned back in her seat and looked at Charlotte. With a mixture of concern, anger, and compassion, Jo asked, "You're three weeks late?"

"Yeah," Charlotte said. "Yesterday, I thought I might as well use the test for real. I set it by the sink and, stupidly, forgot about it when I got back to my room. There's a moment I'd like to do over."

Jo was still staring at her daughter in shocked disbelief, "Yeah. I'll bet."

They sat in the car silently until the heat faded away. Charlotte broke the silence, tentatively suggesting, "Should we go inside?"

Jo seemed to be in another realm. Jo very slowly repeated, "Three weeks?"

"Right, Mom. That's what I said," Charlotte said looking at Jo with confusion and concern.

Jo stuttered, "If I tell you something, do you promise to let me be the one to tell your dad?"

Charlotte laughed, "What comes around goes around. You promised me. So yeah."

Jo looked at Charlotte and said, "You're three weeks late…so am I."


	25. Chapter 25-Shocking Truths-Ongoing Angst

**Chapter 25**

**Surprising Truths, Ongoing Angst**

The radio began to blare with a far-too-happy early morning DJ announcing with nauseating amounts of enthusiasm, "Looks like kids get to sleep in this morning! Two inches of snow and the whole city has shut down. Easiest way to give you school closures is this: Assume yours is closed. The list is too long to read." He looked at the clock: 7:00. Alex hit the snooze button and rolled over to snuggle with Jo as he began to wake up. Finding himself in bed alone, he remembered that she'd left earlier. _All I want to do right now is hold her, _he thought.

As he half-slept, Alex's mind wandered through the events of the last 36 hours. He'd come home from the hospital, eager to share an interesting journal article with Jo, but he never found time to tell Jo about what he'd read. The pregnancy test and the bedlam that followed took over the night. First, he was convinced the test belonged to Charlotte and he lost his temper with her. He thought, _I don't even know what to feel right now. Holy crap. I assumed my kid had taken a pregnancy test even though she's told me over and over she hasn't had_ _sex with Richie Rich. What kind of Dad am I?_

Considering the rest of last night, Alex pondered how Jo said it was her test. His heart skipped a beat at the thought. They had been secretly and quietly trying for so long. When she grabbed that test, his emotions had flown from anger to a mixture of fear, joy and anticipation. Seeing Jo shake her head, his feelings plummeted to the disappointment that had become all too familiar.

Alex rolled over and turned off the alarm before the annoying DJ blared again. _Maybe I can take Spider out to breakfast or something. We could sit down and talk without the drama, _he considered. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed the hair on the top of his head as he attempted to wake up. As he schlepped into the bathroom, he saw a note from Jo taped to the mirror, _Took C with me. See you at hospital. XXOO. J. _Alex, puzzled, wondered how Jo had managed to convince Charlotte to get moving at 4:30 in the morning on a school day. He shrugged and figured he'd find out later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

Neither Charlotte nor Jo said much after they realized they shared a strange reality tied to a 3 week time frame. Jo led the way as they headed into the hospital, Charlotte slowly and silently trailing behind her. As Jo slipped into scrubs, she instructed, "This will be just like other times you've gone on rounds with me or your dad – just wait in the hallway while we're with the patient unless I invite you in specifically. Charlotte nodded as she yawned. She had no desire for conversation. Quietly following her mom through the hallway during pre-rounds was enough stimulation for Charlotte in the early morning hours.

Jo, on an ortho rotation, led her interns around the halls as they prepared to gather the latest data to share with Callie later. This morning, Jo planned to have the interns present the bullets. She assured them that she'd shadow them on pre-rounds and help them fill in any blanks if they forgot a detail here or there. Coming in so early wasn't her first choice of ways to spend the morning, but Jo wanted to make sure the interns were ready and confident. Truth be told, Jo didn't do it just to help them look good. She did it knowing their prep and abilities to present would reflect on her as a resident and teacher. As much as she liked to hold her own and navigate her own way through residency, this was one piece of Alex's frequent unsolicited advice that she deeply appreciated.

In full doctor mode, Jo found it easy to set aside the chaos of previous night and the shock of her early morning, eye opening conversation with Charlotte. The two numbly accompanied one another through the normal morning routines of the hospital as the morning fog outside reflected their states of mind.

As Jo and the interns entered another room, Charlotte plopped into an empty chair at a nearby nurses' station as she rested her head on the back of the chair and closed her eyes. Sitting down gave her time to process. When Jo had told Charlotte she was 3 weeks late, Charlotte found herself so surprised. The idea that Alex and Jo would even consider having a child seemed like such a remote possibility to Charlotte. _They certainly have enough sex to make it possible, but…eewww…the added thought that they might actually have a baby together when their other daughter is 16 is beyond gross, _Charlotte determined.

Danielle Rosen, a 2nd year resident who had met Charlotte a number of times, came over and gently kicked Charlotte's foot with a firm, "Wake up, kiddo." Jo had sent Danielle over.

Charlotte's sleepy eyes opened slowly as Charlotte responded, "Oh, hey. Hi Dr. Rosen. I guess I fell asleep."

"Yep," Danielle confirmed and warned, "and your mom seems about as happy about that as she'd be if _I _fell asleep during rounds."

Charlotte, her face looking just like her father's, lifted half her mouth up and lifted her eyebrows as she stretched and responded, "That's not good."

Jo called from further down the hallway, "Rosen, Karev, let's go." Charlotte absolutely detested it when Jo called her out publicly, especially when she treated her like one of her interns. Danielle, feeling sorry for the kid and wondering what she'd done this time to be expected to tag along on pre-rounds, held down a hand to help Charlotte stand up.

As they caught up to the group, Charlotte listened to Jo the Doctor snap, "It's an open fracture, Jones. Don't refer to it as a complete break that tore through the skin. First off, that takes too long, and, second, it makes you sound like you ordered your medical degree over the internet." Charlotte rolled her eyes as Danielle smirked and as the interns all rapidly made note of Jo's words. Then Jo added, "Ok, Dr. Torres should be here in about 45 minutes. Do whatever you need to do to be ready to go when you're paged." The interns scrambled in various directions as Jo silently observed their choices: some to grab a few winks in an on call room, others to grab some breakfast, and others to the research library. Jo turned to Danielle and asked, "Rosen, what did you think?"

"They did fairly well, Dr. Karev," Rosen assessed. "Working on using more formal presentation styles seems like the next best step."

"Agreed," Jo nodded. "Spend some time with them on that after this morning. Note examples during rounds. Depending upon her mood, Torres may or may not call those out, but I want you to have a solid record of what was said." Rosen nodded as she stepped away, secretly seeking to connect with her boyfriend before rounds.

"And as for you, Sleeping Beauty," Jo sighed, "How are you holding up?"

Charlotte shrugged, "Fine. Just tired."

Jo led the way toward the Residents' Lounge as she inquired, "I heard you getting sick last night."

"Yeah, I've been barfing on and off since yesterday morning. No biggie," Charlotte said.

Jo stopped and turned to face Charlotte, visually examining her in the middle of the hallway for all to see. She palpated Charlotte's neck and then grabbed a tongue depressor. Charlotte tried to speak as Jo insisted she say 'aaahhhhh' and held open Charlotte's jaw, "Mawwwmmm.. Immmm iiiine."

Jo lowered her brow seriously as she pinched the skin on the top of Charlotte's hand and watched how long it took to return to normal, "I'm not so sure. Let's pop down to the ER and do a quick workup."

Charlotte groaned internally. She knew Jo would over-react if she mentioned being sick. As they stepped onto the elevator, they joined Alex, Derek, Amelia, and Callie.

Alex smiled as he saw his ladies. He headed toward Charlotte to give her a hug, momentarily forgetting how upset they were at one another, "Hey, Spider!" On his way to his daughter, Alex held out hand and grasped Jo's hand in his.

Jo gave Alex a peck on the cheek and explained, "We were going to head downstairs to check Charlotte out. She seems a little dehydrated."

"Ummm….Mom." Charlotte stated firmly, "Aren't there privacy laws about this? Do you really need to announce your over-reactive medical paranoia to every one?" Derek, Amelia and Callie exchanged glances.

Alex decided to look like the good cop as he actually became the bad cop. He hugged Charlotte and said boisterously, "Aww, c'mon, Spider. It's all good." Then he whispered very quietly in her ear, "Don't call her out in front of other docs _ever_. Got it?" Charlotte nodded.

Derek put an arm around Amelia and leaned his head on top of hers saying lightly, "Ah, family. Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em, right Charlotte?" Amelia and Callie laughed a little too much, trying to cover the awkwardness. Charlotte grinned at Derek as Jo stared forward at the elevator doors, seething at being called out in front of the neurosurgeons and her current boss.

The elevator doors began to open and Callie asked Jo, "Are your interns ready to present? I'm tired and I haven't had any coffee yet. Please don't tell me I'll have a headache on top of all this after rounds."

The other attendings smiled with understanding as Alex pulled a $20 bill out his wallet and taunted Callie, "You out of money already this month, Torres? I'll spring for your coffee."

Jo responded as if her smart ass husband wasn't there, "They're ready, Dr. Torres." Jo looked at her watch and confirmed, "I'll see you upstairs in 15?"

"Give me 20. The coffee cart line will probably be long," Callie said. Alex was putting his wallet back in his pocket when Callie said, "No, Boy Karev, I meant you give me 20…I've got to bribe my way to the front of the line," Callie said as she grabbed the $20 bill Alex was holding, drug herself off the elevator and walked toward the smell of java. Callie called back over her shoulder, "Girl Karev – yeah, I'll see you in 15."

Derek joked as Alex stood wondering how he just got taken, "Got any more money to give away?"

"No," Alex growled. "Get outta here and go fix somebody's brain," he said with a grin.

"Oh, that's my job," Amelia said as she handed Derek a $10 bill. "Derek's no longer the head of neuro – now he's my coffee slut."

Alex grinned mightily as Amelia won the round against her brother. The siblings both headed toward the coffee as Derek whined, "Amy, I don't want your money and I'm not getting your coffee."

Amelia groaned, "It was a joke, Derek. Get over yourself."

"Oh," Derek said blankly.

Meanwhile, Jo was navigating Charlotte toward a bed behind one of the curtains as she said, "Alex, do you have a minute to help me?"

Alex, realizing Charlotte was completely horrified at being drug to the ER, suggested, "Why don't you go upstairs and make sure your interns are all there when Callie gets there. I'll tag team you with this one."

Jo reluctantly agreed. As he attempted to shine a light in Charlotte's eyes as she turned away from him, Alex called out, "Oh, hey, and I need you to consult on a patient in 1622. Meet there at, say, 10?" Jo nodded and smiled. 1622 was their code for a particular on call room.

Alex turned to Charlotte who had quickly taken advantage of the empty bed and hopped onto it. "So, Spider, why did she drag you down here?" Alex asked with complete confusion. He palpated her neck and raised one of her eyelids with his thumb.

Realizing she had her chance to avoid being patient-of-the-day, Charlotte rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, Dad, I don't know. I probably blinked too long or sniffled mid-sentence."

Alex chuckled and offered, "You want to follow me to a consult on a kid with a nasty sore throat?"

"Not particularly. Can I just go home and go back to bed?" Charlotte begged.

"I dunno," Alex said, "Why did you come in with Mom?"

"I think she just wanted to harass me for not having school. She also wanted to talk about last night, which we already did on the way here," Charlotte put forward.

"I'd like to talk about that too, but I can't right now," Alex explained as he reached into his lab coat for his car keys. "Do you feel comfortable driving in the snow?"

Charlotte nodded, knowing she didn't. Wanting desperately to be at home in her own bed, she'd try anything. She held out her hand, but then Alex thought twice and put the keys back in his pocket, "Nah, she'll freak if she knows I let you drive in this weather at rush hour. Go upstairs and crash on the couch in the Attendings' Lounge. They all know you, nobody will bug you in there."

"Thanks, Dad." Charlotte said gratefully.

"Lunch, though, we're doing lunch and then we're talking. I'll come get you," Alex explained. Charlotte was already standing up and just nodded in response.

Alex was in 'Room 1622' by 9:45. His residents and interns experienced the briefest rounds of their lives that morning as Alex rushed through each case. He'd sent them off to various patients and slid away from Peds as quickly as he could.

Lately, Jo and Alex had found the on call room offered more privacy than their own home. Charlotte had basically lived in her room with her door open during the last three weeks so that her grounded presence was constantly obvious. Not wanting to fight that battle, Alex resigned to it even though he and Jo were constantly whispering and trying to have quiet, basic, no-noise sex at home.

Jo slipped in at 10:05, locked the door behind her, and said in a playful voice, "Dr. Karev, you asked for an ortho consult?"

"Yes, I've got this one bone I need examined thoroughly," Alex began with a 7th grade penis reference.

Jo frowned, "Oh, that's corny, Alex. Way to ruin the mood."

Alex jumped out of bed, grabbed Jo and brought her down on top of him, saying, "That's how desperate I am to hear you scream."

Jo laughed but explained, "Well that's not going to happen in here either. You'll have to spring for a hotel room for that." By the time she finished her sentence, Alex was already propping her up on top of him and raising his eyebrows in a flirty expression. Jo added, "So you want me to do all the work, huh?" Alex grinned and nodded as he kissed his wife's body.

After 45 minutes of switching places, rolling into various positions, and somehow ending up together on the floor, Jo and Alex caught their breath and caressed one another.

Jo tenderly asked, "How are you feeling about last night?"

"Hell if I know," Alex began, "The whole thing was crazy. Lots of emotions."

"Yeah," Jo said, unsure where to go from there.

"So you really thought you might be pregnant?" Alex asked.

Jo sighed with resignation, "I've learned not to get my hopes up in the last 18 months."

Alex stoked Jo's hair and encouraged her, "It'll happen. You're just working too much. Life's just been too stressful."

Jo looked at Alex sadly and suggested, "I think we need to consult an OB, Alex. We've been trying for a long time. I'm three weeks late, but I don't have any other signs. My cycle is totally out of whack. Something's gotta be wrong."

Alex kissed Jo gently and softly said, "Shhhhhh… no need to worry. Give it time."

Jo looked desperately at Alex and reminded him, "I have given it time."

Alex just sighed and looked at her as he thought silently about calling Addison for input. At the same time, he was terrified to consult with her or any other OB because that might mean there was really some solid reason why Jo hadn't gotten pregnant yet. Even though he knew better, he preferred to remain in denial rather than having someone do a workup and find out the issue. He simply couldn't handle one more challenge or one more issue right now. Subtly shifting to a related subject, Alex asked, "How do you think Charlotte would handle it if we had a baby?"

"I think she would find it really challenging to have to share the spotlight," Jo declared. Alex didn't respond as he considered Jo's words. She was likely correct, but he wanted to hold on to an idyllic image of what his family life could become.

After snuggling together in the quiet for a while, Jo, choosing her words carefully, shared, "For months, I've tried so hard to figure out my role in Charlotte's life. When I've been more removed and deferred to you being the clear primary parent, she's seemed hungry for connection from me or completely repulsed by my presence. Since we've talked about me adopting her, I've tried to be more of a co-parent. I feel like she not only sees me as sleeping with the enemy now, but also as a traitor who's joined the dark side."

Alex leaned his head down to gaze at the top of Jo's head and stroked her hair, "Has it really been that bad?"

Jo's voice cracked the slightest bit, "At times."

"I'm so sorry I brought this whole situation into our lives and marriage. I love my daughter, I'm not saying I don't. But it's hard to imagine how different our lives would be right now if Charlotte hadn't moved in right after we were married. It's like our focus went from being on us to all about Charlotte all the time," Alex shared.

Jo kissed him as she moved her body back onto his, whispering seductively, "How much time do you have?"

"For you? I've got all the time in the world." Alex laughed as he flipped her onto her back in one fell swoop and began the day's second round.

In the middle of sex, Alex's pager sounded and so did Alex as he grumbled, "Crap. What now?" He leaned down to see that he was being paged to the ER, but it was for a consult. Jo had started to sit up, assuming Alex would have to leave. Instead, Alex put his arms on her shoulders and guided her down as he resumed and asked, "Now where were we?"

Jo tried to speak as Alex kissed her, "Don't you have to answer that?"

Alex said, "It's a consult, not an emergency."

Fifteen minutes later, they had just finished and his pager sounded again with the same message. Alex frowned and said, "Ok, now I gotta go." He gave Jo a peck on the cheek and jumped into his scrub pants. He leaned down to grab his top and accidentally grabbed Jo's, getting stuck in the tiny garment. "Crap," he grumbled with aggravation, "Can you help me?"

Jo laughed and said, "Yeah, eventually, after I tire of watching you squirm."

"C'mon. Some kid is down there waiting for their doctor and he's…ummm… stuck in his wife's scrub top. Not a reassuring image for a doctor," Alex said as Jo stood up fully naked and maneuvered the shirt off his arms and head.

Jo kissed him as she handed him his scrub top and said with resignation, "Maybe this is why I haven't had any babies – my hands are full taking care of you and Charlotte as it is."

Alex threw on his lab coat and looked back at her with a reassuring smile as he headed toward the door, "Don't say that. I want babies with you. I don't stop until I get what I want. That means lots of sex in our future." He smiled out of the side of his mouth and left the room.


	26. Chapter 26 - Mending the Brokeness

**Chapter 26**

**Mending the Brokenness**

Upon arriving in the Pit, Alex saw Hunt at the main desk, and announced, "I was paged. Where's the patient?"

"What took you so long?" Owen asked more with curiosity than judgment.

"I … was… uh… tangled up in something pressing. Took me awhile to get free," Alex explained.

"Oh," Owen answered, not sure at all what Alex was saying. "We paged you for Bed 7 – adorable kid with broken arm. We'd normally just call Ortho, but he also hit his head and is complaining of abdominal tenderness. Seemed best to have Peds oversee the case."

Alex nodded and felt horribly guilty for making a little kid with a broken arm wait for him so he could finish having sex. He tried to erase the picture of the on call room rendez-vous from his mind by shaking his head a few times as he grabbed the curtain. Offering his well-used introduction that came out of his mouth without effort after all these years, Alex said, "Hi. I'm Dr. Karev. What seems to be the problem?"

As Alex spoke, he looked up and saw Matt. Erin was sitting in a nearby chair with her legs dangling while two older but still little kids sat on the bed. The girl's eyes were glued to a smart phone and the boy was obviously the patient.

"Mr. Karev, MD!" Erin yelled as she bounced down and hugged Alex's leg.

"Oh, uh, hey, Matt," Alex said as he blinked his eyes, confused to be encountering a group of Bauer children in the ER. Then with glee he reserved only for young patients, Alex knelt down and held up his hand for a high five, "Hi Erin!"

Erin shook her head with great solemnity, "Not now. If I hurt your hand like last time, maybe you couldn't help my bro bro." She pointed up at her brother on the bed as Alex chuckled softly and lowered his hand.

Alex stood to approach Matt's younger brother as he removed the ice pack, "Dude, that looks like it really hurts." Chris' arm was already swollen and bruised, and Alex was perturbed, thinking privately, _This should have been an urgent page. Poor kid._

Christopher looked up at Alex, trying to be tough, "Maybe a little."

Alex smiled and said, "Just a little, huh? You must be pretty strong. What's your name tough guy?"

Christopher, sounding like an adult, told Alex, "Christopher Dean Bauer."

Grinning, Alex nodded and responded, "So Christopher Dean Bauer, do you want me to use your whole name or call you Chris?"

"Chris or Christopher is fine. I answer to both," Christopher said with maturity beyond his years.

Alex looked up at Matt, who he had not seen since happier times when he gave Matt permission to give Charlotte a promise ring. He asked him, "So what happened?"

Matt said, "He bit it at the end of the driveway. We were sledding and his sled tipped and kept moving without him. He messed up his arm and bumped his head."

Alex pulled up a stool and was examining Christopher as he listened. He handed Elizabeth his pen light and quickly nodded toward Matt to confirm he'd heard him. Then, looking at Elizabeth, he said, "You want to help me examine your brother?"

Elizabeth nodded eagerly and grinned mischievously, "Do I get to give him a shot?"

"I want to meg-zammen him!" Erin insisted as she pulled on Alex's lab coat.

Alex laughed. "How about if you sit on this knee instead, Erin." Alex patted his leg. Erin climbed up and held her arms around him in an ongoing embrace.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Karev," Matt offered out of embarrassment as his sisters vied for Alex's attention, "I can keep these two occupied and take them off your hands."

Alex frowned and shook his head, "I'm good." Alex turned to Elizabeth and said, "And what's your name?"

Lizzy answered using her full name, proud about her important new role as a medical assistant, "Elizabeth."

Erin piped in, "That's only when Mommy's angry. We call her Lizzy."

"Be quiet, Erin, or I'll make up a name for you," Lizzy threatened.

Matt snapped his fingers and cleared his throat. That was enough for both girls to quiet down.

Alex widened his eyes as he continued examining Chris, looked at Matt and said, "Impressive." Matt shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Does that work on Charlotte?" Alex joked.

Matt smiled and shook his head, "No, she doesn't care if I take away Dora the Explorer if I have to do that twice." Alex chuckled and remembered why he liked Matt.

"Ok, Elizabeth, I need you to hold that shiny light really carefully and point it over here," Alex said as he pointed above the bed. He didn't really need her help, he was trying to distract her as he palpated Chris' fracture.

Alex hit the sorest spot and Christopher tried to hold back tears as he yowled, "Owwwww."

"Sorry, Chris. I had to do that," Alex said as he put the ice back on the break. Alex tilted his head and grimaced. "Where else do you hurt?"

Christopher shared, "Here on my head and on my stomach. Just kind of on my tummy. But not bad."

Looking at the clock and noticing it was lunch time, Alex asked Matt, "When did he eat last?"

"He's probably hungry. Not since breakfast around 8," Matt reported.

Erin offered her earnest observations as if reporting on the sinking of the Titanic, "Mr. Karev MD, Chris is _always _hungry."

Hugging Erin with one arm, Alex touched Chris' hand and asked, "Can you feel that?"

Chris took in a brave breath and said, "A little."

Alex lied and commented, "That's typical." Then Alex instructed, "How about moving your fingers, hand or wrist? Can you try that?" Chris could barely move any of them.

Alex explained, "Some of my friends will come over to look at that bump on your head. But, first, I'm going to give you some medicine to take away the pain and then let's get some pictures of your arm. We'll see what we've got going on." Alex embraced Erin so he could safely roll back and peek around the curtain. He saw Danielle Rosen and called her over, "Rosen?"

Danielle and her intern came over and Alex filled them in, "Dr. Rosen, let's keep ice rotating on and off, and get ortho down here STAT. Start with my wife, but give Torres a heads up that you might be calling her down. Start oxycodone 0.2 mg/kg. We also need an x-ray of Christopher's left arm – let's get full arm, upper and lower films, all angles – wait for meds to kick in before putting him through that. Do a simple neuro work up before the meds. If you spot anything worthy of it, hold the oxy and page Neuro – I'm not seeing anything now but you need to assess as well. Pretty sure abdominal tenderness is connected to lunchtime, but assess it and see what you think. Even if he is just hungry, NPO until Torres weighs in. Find me when you have the films or if you notice any other concerns." The intern quickly jotted copious notes, knowing Rosen might ask about the case later. Matt watched as his head spun at all the details that Alex so easily rattled off.

"Why oxycodone rather than codeine?" Rosen asked.

Alex raised his eyebrows and lowered his chin, "Good question for you to research. I'll see what you've found next time we talk. Are you free to scrub in? This would be good experience."

"Sure, Dr. Karev." Danielle responded. "Any other orders?"

"I think we're good. Start an IV, do a basic neuro now then let's get him the meds. Ask about allergies first, remember to calculate Peds dosage at 0.2 mg/kg. Call me if you need to confirm any hunches. You'll want to explain each step to him as you go – you've done Peds? I can't keep track," Alex asked.

"Yes with Dr. Robbins," Danielle confirmed. "I'll do the evals and IV while we wait at X-Ray." Alex nodded in agreement. Then shifting into Peds mode, she turned to Christopher and explained, "Hey Christopher, I'm Dr. Rosen and this is my pal, Dr. Davis. We are going to go get pictures of the bones inside your arm."

Erin, Lizzy and Chris all widened their eyes as Chris said, "Cool."

Danielle stepped on the brake release, then she and Davis began to push the bed. She asked Chris, "But first, you get a ride. What's your favorite car?" Chris and Danielle chatted it up as they headed to x-ray. Danielle took Chris' mind off the pain by having him imagine he was driving his favorite car through the hospital and that she and Davis were his pit crew.

Alex supported Erin on his hip as he stood up. Then he reached out his other arm to help Lizzy onto the floor. Holding his forearm in front of her, Alex instructed, "Grab it and hold on tight." She grabbed on tentatively. Alex initially pulled her up just for fun and let her hang in the air as she held his arm. Then he slowly lowered her down until she was standing on the floor. Both girls giggled. Alex motioned for Matt to follow him and asked, "Where's your mom? You need to call her so she can consent to treatment and fill out forms."

"I can take care of all that, Dr. Karev. Mom had this put together when I turned 18 so there are two of us who can deal with emergencies," Matt responded, showing Alex a Power of Attorney and a paper with medical insurance information, allergy information, and medical histories for each Bauer.

Alex glanced quickly and said, "Wow. Ok then. I'll send an admissions clerk over." As Matt and his sisters sat down in the waiting area, Alex awkwardly asked Matt, "So… uh … how have you been, Matt? Been awhile since we've really talked."

"Ok, Dr. Karev. It would be good to talk sometime, huh?" Matt asked nervously.

Alex pursed his lips and nodded sharply, "Yeah. Not now though."

"How's Charlotte?" Matt asked longingly.

Alex raised his eyebrows and bore into Matt's eyes, saying, "I'll check in with you soon about your brother." Then he turned to Lizzy and Erin, saying, "Thanks for your help, ladies."

As he began to step away, Erin grabbed on to Alex's leg and whined, "Please don't leave!"

Alex grinned and held his hand out to Erin. She grasped it, freeing his leg and enabling him to kneel down. "I wish I could stay, kiddo, but I need to help some other kids. Stay here with your brother and I'll come back later," Alex assured her as he kissed the top of her head.

Alex decided he would head up to the Attendings' Lounge to check in with Charlotte. On his way past the desk, he saw Kepner. As far as Alex knew at this point, the pregnancy test from last night belonged to Jo and he'd made an incorrect assumption thinking it was Charlotte's. Without the benefit of the knowledge Jo gained earlier in the morning, Alex approached April.

April looked up from her tablet, "How's Chris?"

"He'll be ok. I'm waiting on films to look at the break. It seems surgical. I'm pretty sure the rest of his complaints are nothing serious," Alex shared. "Hey, Kepner, do you have a second?"

Looking surprised, April said, "Ummm…sure."

Jackson had just finished a consult and was hoping to take his wife to lunch. He walked up and put his arm around April as he greeted Alex with a nod.

Alex began uncomfortably, "Kepner, I… uh… it's been cool how you've talked to Charlotte about church and sex."

"I care deeply about her, Alex. Both Jackson and I do," April shared as Jackson nodded.

Alex admitted, "I have to tell you that I used to think all that purity ring crap was stupid propaganda. But, really, it might be helping Charlotte decide not to spread her legs. So…yeah, April." Alex patted April's shoulder, nodded with an awkward smile, and stepped away.

April looked at Jackson with her mouth agape, non-verbally sharing her befuddled shock at Alex's words. When Alex was out of range, she mumbled softly, "He's always so crude."

Jackson laughed softly, "But there was definitely a thank you in there. A big thank you. You just need to speak Karev to hear it. It's a specialized, unique language only few have learned." Jackson leaned down and kissed April on her cheek as he praised her, "Let's go grab lunch, huh?"

Alex grabbed his cell and called Jo. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made for he and Jo to have lunch and connect before he, or both of them, talked to Charlotte. As they spoke, he also mentioned Chris' case and gave her an overview of it.

While Alex was in the ER offering obscure gratitude, Charlotte was curled up sound asleep in Matt's P-coat on the couch in the Attendings' Lounge. Derek walked in and smiled when he saw Charlotte cuddled up asleep. He walked over to the fridge to grab a water and heard a sleepy voice coming from the corner of the room, "Hi, Dr. Shepherd."

Derek turned his head and smirked. "Hi Charlotte. Did I wake you up?"

"No," Charlotte answered. "I just woke up and saw you over there. I need to get up anyway – my dad and I are going to have lunch together."

Derek nodded as he grabbed a stray chair and asked, "Do you have a minute?"

"I think so," Charlotte guessed.

"Listen, I don't know the whole story and I really don't need to know it, but you put me in a bind last time you babysat," Derek said seriously as he pursed his lips and looked at Charlotte.

"Yeah?" Charlotte responded, unsure what to say.

"I think we both know that when you asked if a friend could come over, I didn't realize you meant your boyfriend," Derek offered. Charlotte nodded uncomfortably as Derek continued, "Between you and me, I told everyone that you _did_ ask if your boyfriend could come over. I don't know if that helped you out at all, but I did it because I think you're a good kid who just gets in her own way sometimes."

"Thanks for trying to help me out. You didn't have to do that for me," Charlotte offered.

"Once was no problem, but don't put me in that position again, Charlotte. Understood?" Derek looked at her seriously but with a kind grin.

"I won't. I apologize, Dr. Shepherd. I'm really sorry," Charlotte gushed.

"Apology fully accepted," Derek declared. "I know you have other adults in your life, but I'm here if you ever need me to lend an ear. Being a teenager can be rough." Derek looked at her with his soft blue eyes. Charlotte's mixed emotions of infatuation, regret, and relief simultaneously bubbled inside her.

Charlotte smiled and said, "Thanks. I hope you'll ask me to watch your kids again sometime and give me a chance to earn back your trust, but I understand if I've blown it."

Derek stood up and smiled. He headed over to the couch and patted Charlotte's knee, assuring her, "You haven't blown it. How about Saturday night? Meredith is on call and I'm having dinner with an old friend."

"Let me double check with my dad," Charlotte explained as she thought, _Yeah, my dad, who may never let me out of his sight again once he knows Matt and I have been having sex. _She continued, "Again, I apologize. Thanks for giving me another chance," Charlotte repeated.

Derek shared a reassuring grin and excused himself, "I need to check on a patient."

Once Derek left, Charlotte breathed a huge sigh of relief. She kicked back on the couch while she waited for Alex, imagining how wonderful it would be if Alex was as calm, forgiving, and understanding as Dr. Shepherd.

Just a few minutes later, Alex came in and interrupted Charlotte's day dream about ideal fathers who look like Derek Shepherd and never lose their cool. He announced, "Hey, Spider, change of plans."

"Yeah?" Charlotte asked, "What's up?"

"Two things. Your mom and I are going to have lunch, just us," Alex reached into his wallet and grabbed a $10 bill, "so go ahead and grab yourself something."

"Ok," Charlotte responded with relief at the delay in having to face the music. "You said there were two things?"

Alex looked at her with confidence, "Don't flip out because everything is ok, but Matt's little brother broke his arm and Matt's waiting down in the ER with his little sisters. Even though I'm pissed at you and even though your mom will probably be pissed at me for suggesting this, why don't you go hang out with him and help him out."

"OMG, is Chris going to be all right?!" Charlotte said with a tinge of concern.

"I said don't flip out," Alex repeated while rolling his eyes. "I'm waiting on x-rays, but he'll be fine even if the arm needs attention." He consciously chose 'attention' instead of 'surgery' so he didn't have deal with a panicked daughter. Alex headed back down to the Pit to check on Chris' status.

While Charlotte received forgiveness from Derek and news from her dad, Rosen and Jo were in the Pit examining Chris' x-rays. Rosen didn't fully understand what they showed, but Jo was quite concerned.

Rosen reported as she put the x-rays on the illuminator, "The films just came back. He has a displaced fracture. With that and these cracks on the humerus, would this be considered comminuted?" Rosen asked.

Jo shook her head slowly, "Great question. Since the bone is in two pieces and not more, it is not comminuted. Those cracks are concerning though. That break is an oblique fracture. I'm concerned this might be an open fracture, too."

"But there's no exit site. The bone is still inside the arm," Rosen pointed out.

"Right, but see the pooling there? I think this bone broke through lower layers of skin and receded back into the wound. An open fracture is not always visible through the skin. This kid took quite the spill and needs to be on some serious antibiotics while we page Torres and wait for her. Get a CT so we have a better sense of what we're dealing with, then have Torres analyze it all. Any nerve damage? Can he move his fingers at all? How's his peripheral pulse?"

"Finger movement is slight, but highly painful…" Rosen began as Torres approached and invited herself into the conversation.

"Oh man, that's nasty," Torres commented as she took a sip of coffee. "Which one of you can I thank for this early Christmas present? This surgery is going to be a fun one."

Jo smiled and nodded toward Rosen.

"Dr. Karev, the other Dr. Karev," Danielle began.

"Yeah," Callie said, "I call them Boy Karev and Girl Karev." Callie turned to Jo and observed, "It would have been so much easier if you'd kept 'Wilson'." Jo just grinned.

Danielle continued awkwardly, "Dr… umm… Boy Karev asked me to run the tests after he performed the initial exam. Dr. Hunt wants Peds overseeing the case. I paged this Dr. Karev… Girl Karev… for her input," Rosen explained.

"Ok, looks like we're operating this afternoon. Who's running the case?" Torres asked.

Jo added, "As much as I've love to be in there, this is Rosen's surgery. She's done a great job working through each step."

"It's your lucky day, Rosen. Not only do you have a resident who isn't going to swipe your surgery away like her husband used to do to people, you're going to assist on a surgery we only see 3% of the time in children," Torres stated. "Do we need to let Boy Karev know the plan? 'Cause this kid needs surgery _now. _Where are his parents?"

Jo interjected, "This is one of Dean Bauer's children. Mom is unreachable but oldest son, Matt, has P of A. Matt has been trying to get a hold of his mom."

"_The _Dean Bauer? As in the one who died last year in that terrible crash? Wow," Torres commented. "_That _doesn't make me anxious at all."

Jo offered, "For what it's worth, Alex and I know the family. The big brother is Charlotte's boyfriend."

"Go, Charlotte," Torres offered showing she was impressed.

Callie paused as she studied the x-ray and commented, "I'll need a CT and maybe even an MRI. We'll need consent. If we've only got big brother and he can give the go ahead, let's go talk to him. Rosen, get Boy Karev down here STAT. He and I can talk to the family. How's the kid's pain?"

"Dr. Karev…Boy Karev," Rosen said uncomfortably, "ordered oxycodone. Patient's tolerating it well. Pain seems well controlled." Unbeknownst to Callie, Alex had approached from behind and was looking at the x-rays in amazement while the others talked.

"Oxy? Really?" Callie asked with confusion. "I would've gone with codeine."

Alex inserted himself into the conversation and said, "Yeah, you don't want to do that with Peds cases. Have you had a chance to learn why, Rosen?"

"I haven't, Dr. Karev," Rosen admitted without offering an excuse. She knew if she tried to explain how busy she'd been, the attendings would interpret it as whining.

Alex offered smugly, "Morphine intoxication. Ultra-rapid metabolism of codeine in kids can lead to a toxic and even lethal accumulation. There's too much variability in inter-individual response with codeine. Pain relief provided by oxycodone is not dependent on metabolism by CYP2D6. Dig deeper than that, Rosen. Interesting stuff to learn about."

"Well aren't you Dr. Caught Up on Journal Reading?" Torres teased.

Alex shrugged and offered, "Morphine is also an option, but I've been more impressed with oxy's efficacy."

"Shall we go talk to the family?" Torres asked.

"Sure, but I haven't been updated since my initial exam. Where are we at and what's your surgical plan?" Alex asked.

Callie answered, "I'll fill you in on our way to the waiting room. A few quick bullets will catch you up."

Alex looked at Jo and said, "Lunch right after I talk to Matt?"

Jo nodded and said, "I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

Callie provided an overview as they walked to the waiting area. When Erin saw Alex, she came running toward him at full speed with her pet name for him, "Mr. Karev, MD!" He picked Erin up in his arms and then said hello to Lizzy.

Callie laughed and mumbled, "I like that. That just might stick. Mr. Karev, MD…hmmm." Alex grimaced and rolled his eyes at Callie, then suggested they all go into a consultation room.

The group entered the room and sat down. Alex said to Matt, "Matt, this is Dr. Torres. She's an orthopedic surgeon. Have you had any luck reaching your mom?"

Matt shook his head, "I've been trying. She sent a text and told me to go ahead with whatever you suggested. The storm has messed with reception, and she can't get her phone to call out. She's on her way."

Then Alex declared, "Well, I'm suggesting what Dr. Torres is going to describe to you. Charlotte is on her way down here. How about if I take these two Princesses to get some lunch and you can send Charlotte to get the girls when you see her?" Alex glanced at Callie to confirm, "You can cover details with Matt?"

Callie nodded and agreed. She began to fill Matt in on the results of the x-rays and her plan for surgery. As Alex and the girls left the room, both she and Matt heard Erin say, "We are not real Princesses. You know that, right?"

Alex headed to the cafeteria with the girls, relishing every minute of carrying Erin around and holding hands with Lizzy. _I can't wait to have little kids of my own, _he thought.

Jo giggled as she watched Alex balance a tray and help the girls pick out food for lunch. A part of her knew she should go help, but another part of her was too enchanted and entertained by the site of Alex fathering them along. Alex came over with a tray full of food, Lizzy carefully carried two lidded drinks in her hands, and Erin came skipping through the room without a care in the world.

"You must be Elizabeth," Jo said as she helped Lizzy with the drinks and put them on the table.

Lizzy smiled and asked, "Are you Charlotte's mom?"

Jo looked up at Alex thoughtfully with a confused face. Alex answered, "Yep. This is Charlotte's mom. She's a doctor here too." Alex began setting everyone's food out on the table and emptying the tray.

Erin gently pushed Jo's arm and said, "Do you remember me?"

Jo giggled and caught Alex's eye as she responded, "I know the face. Hmmm… name…. Don't tell me! No hints… Your name is Zelda, right?"

Erin cracked up and declared, "No! Guess again."

"Ok," Jo continued as she winked at Lizzy to let her in on the game, "It's… Madeline." Alex smiled as he watched Jo. Seeing her face light up as she interacted with the girls melted his heart.

"Oh my word," Erin said, likely imitating her mother's exasperated voice. "Nope."

Jo narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her face, saying, "I'm going to get it this time. Let me think. Remember, no hints! Last name is Bauer…first name is…Erin!"

"Thank goodness," Erin said with sincerity, again likely imitating her mother, "I was worried there for a minute."


	27. Chapter 27 - False Alarms

**Chapter 27**

**False Alarms**

After Charlotte picked the girls up in the cafeteria, Alex and Jo had their first opportunity to figure out what to do about Matt's 3 hour visit at Meredith and Derek's house. While Alex didn't know it yet, Jo was clearly aware that the owner of the pregnancy test needed to confess as well.

"Has it really only been about 18 hours since I found the pregnancy test and all that mess?" Alex asked as the couple continued to meet.

Jo asked, "Feels like at least a week, doesn't it?"

"Or a month," Alex suggested. "Oh, hey, before we go there, the lawyer messengered the adoption papers to me yesterday. I forgot to tell you about them last night. I left them in the kitchen. Just sign where he put the flags and return everything to the lawyer." Alex looked serious then broke a smile as he grasped Jo's hand and added, "You might want to think twice about signing them after the last day or so."

Jo smiled softly, "I still love the little scamp. She's stuck with me."

"Good. Guess that means you won't be packing your bags and leaving me anytime soon," Alex said dryly.

Shaking her head, Jo giggled and insisted, "Nope. You're stuck with me to, Mr. MD."

Alex smiled and laughed, "Isn't Erin the cutest? I just want to steal her from Sheryl and take her home."

"Of course you think she's adorable, she idolizes you," Jo confirmed with a grin. "You have to remember, though, that she too will grow up to be a teenage girl one day."

"That's when I'll give her back to Sheryl," Alex laughed.

"Good plan," Jo joked. "Speaking of teenaged girls, what are we going to do about Matt's 3 hour visit?"

"I think we should sit down with both of them and intimidate the hell out of them," Alex suggested.

Jo responded, "That's not helpful, Alex. Really, what do you think we should do?"

"I'm not kidding. I mean, really, grounding her does no good. Taking away electronics and her phone, even taking her car away, does no good. Seriously, Jo, I'm about to just throw my arms up, look her in the eye, and tell her I'm done fighting. Let's surrender while we still have some sanity and let her make her own choices," Alex vented.

"Right before college applications and visits? Probably not the time to loosen the reigns," Jo mused.

Alex grumbled, "Well, Christmas is a week away. For my own peace of mind, I don't want to deal with her being grounded and all dramatic on Christmas. What if we talk to her and say we'll address all this after Christmas? It might make her squirm a little and it'll help us have a nice holiday."

Jo beamed and praised Alex, "You are a brilliant man." She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

"I know," Alex grinned with far too much self-confidence. He felt his phone buzz, so he grabbed it out of his pocket. "Matt just sent me a text," Alex stated. "It says, _Spider sick. Want me to take her home?_"

Jo closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she opened her eyes, she saw Alex texting back. "What are you telling him?" Jo asked.

"That I'll take her," Alex explained. "I don't want him on the roads and he should be here when Sheryl gets here."

Jo lowered her brow and frowned, "What did you find out when you examined Charlotte this morning in the ER? She seemed dehydrated to me."

Alex, remembering what Jo had expected and how he'd blown it off, tried to make an excuse, "Nothing really. She avoided letting me shine a light in her eyes. That was it."

Later that afternoon, Callie asked Jo to provide an update to Matt. Sheryl was sitting with Matt, but Lizzy and Erin weren't present. "Hi Sheryl," Jo said as she sat down next to Matt. "Where are the girls?"

Sheryl laughed, "Your husband, bless him, was brave and crazy enough to offer to take them to your house while Matt and I waited for Chris to get out of surgery. Do you know how the surgery is going?"

Jo smiled, "Dr. Torres is finishing up right now. She'll be out soon to share details. The surgery went very well." Sheryl shared her relief and thanked Jo for the news.

Finally, at 9pm, Jo was able to leave the hospital and go home. She drug herself up to her bedroom after her 16 hour day and noticed Charlotte's door was back in place. Alex was in bed reading a medical journal and smiled when he saw her in the doorway, "Hey, beautiful."

"I don't feel very beautiful. I feel exhausted," Jo groaned as she left a trail of clothes from the door to the bed.

Alex chuckled and grinned, "You're looking more and more beautiful the closer you get." With her heavy eyelids beginning to close, Jo slipped into bed and snuggled into her husband. Alex wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

Jo traced her finger on Alex's chest and said playfully, "I heard you tried to steal Lizzy and Erin today. Did you have fun with them?"

"We had a great afternoon," Alex announced. "Those girls convinced me even more that I can't wait for us to have kids. I'm not sure if they wore me out or if I wore them out, but I'm pretty sure we'll all sleep well tonight. I'll be sore tomorrow after having two kids climb all over me and insist I give them rides on my back all afternoon."

"Insist, huh?" Jo kidded with closed eyes. "And how's Charlotte been?"

Alex answered, "Poor Charlotte, she's been in bed, alternating between sleeping and getting sick all afternoon and evening. I've been trying to load her up on fluids. I owe you an apology – I blew off your concerns about her this morning and now I'm wishing I hadn't." Jo didn't respond and Alex turned his head to look at her, noticing she was completely asleep. He kissed the top of her head, leaned over and turned out the light. With his arm still around Jo and with her snuggled along his side, Alex fell asleep with a smile on his face.

At 6:00 am, Alex woke up out of a deep sleep when he heard a crashing noise come from the hall bath. "Jo," he whispered, "did you hear that?" Jo didn't move and had slept through the noise.

Alex crawled out of bed and headed toward the hall bath. The door was ajar. He knocked and whispered, "Charlotte?"

Weakly, his daughter moaned, "Yeah? C'mon in, Dad."

He opened the door to see Charlotte stretched out on the tile floor. She was pale and her eyes were barely open. He knelt down on the floor to get a closer look and he mumbled, "Oh Spider." He quickly grabbed all the towels he could reach and put them under her head, "Here, you don't want to lay flat if you're tossing cookies."

"I can't stop throwing up. My head is exploding," Charlotte groaned. "My body is hollow. Empty. Something's wrong."

Alex grabbed a towel and wiped Charlotte's face which felt more cold and clammy than feverish. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"I don't care, Dad. I'm going to be sick again," Charlotte groaned.

Alex helped her sit up and held onto her as she threw up. He noticed blood and called out, "Jo!"

Jo, knowing she wasn't at the hospital, tried to respond from bed, "I have to be up in an hour. I need sleep."

"Get up," Alex insisted loudly as he tried to examine Charlotte. "Charlotte's hematemesic. I…I need you. I need you now. Come be the doctor here. I…can't… I…"

"I'm right here," Jo said as she flew through the doorway with Alex's robe hanging off of her. She ran back out and grabbed a blanket and her phone. She threw the blanket to Alex and instructed him, "Here, wrap her up." He nodded his head and did as she instructed.

Noticing that Alex was more like a parent than a doctor at the moment, Jo ordered, "Alex, I need you to call 911." She handed Alex the cell phone she'd brought in with her.

Alex dialed the number and took some deep breaths, reassuring Jo that he was recalibrating and becoming steadier. The 911 operator answered and Alex began, "Yes, this is Dr. Alex Karev…" he supplied their address and a basic overview of the emergent symptoms Charlotte was exhibiting. Alex found himself able to report details effectively once he started. Jo heard Alex say, "My wife and I are both doctors. Surgeons. We have med bags – what she needs is fluids." There was a pause as the dispatcher spoke and then Alex said, "The house is up a series of stairs, they shouldn't bother with a stretcher. Have them bring fluids up with them. I'll unlock the door."

"Char, we're going to get you to the hospital," Jo explained. She leaned down when Charlotte didn't respond verbally, "Charlotte, hey, I need you to work with me here, ok?"

Charlotte's eyes fluttered as she let out a small, "Mmmm….hmmmm."

"Alex, go get your medical bag," Jo ordered. Alex ran downstairs as Jo continued with Charlotte, "Charlotte, how much blood have you thrown up?"

"I dunno. A little. Not a lot. Just the last few times," Charlotte said with her eyes closed.

"Ok, that's reassuring," Jo shared. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

"It makes it worse," Charlotte answered.

Alex came back in with his bag. Jo told him, "I need a pen light and she needs fluids. Do you have any Electrolade in there? Ondansetron?"

"Yeah, I should have both," Alex confirmed as he began to look for the meds.

"I'll look. Go grab a bottle of water," Jo suggested.

Alex handed her the Ondansetron in a syringe. "Double check the med and my dosing," Alex said as he headed downstairs for water.

Jo intentionally took a few deep breaths and blinked her eyes to make sure she was paying full attention. Then she told Charlotte, "I'm sorry, Charlotte, I have to give you a shot. The good news is that this stuff is magic."

"I'm not 5," Charlotte groaned.

Jo laughed softly, "No, really. I'd say that to anyone. Just wait." The nausea seemed to disappear almost immediately as the meds worked their way into Charlotte's system.

The paramedics arrived just as Alex was about to go upstairs. Alex breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized Nicole and her partner. Alex began sharing Charlotte's symptoms and vitals. The trio arrived in the doorway as Jo was shining a light into Charlotte's eyes and attempting a brief neuro exam. Charlotte squeezed her eyes tightly shut and shook her head, "No light. Turn it off."

Nicole came behind Jo and touched Jo on the shoulder. Kneeling down, Nicole said, "Hey Charlotte, I'm Nicole. We're going to start an IV so we can rehydrate you on our way to the hospital." Nicole nodded to her partner, who inserted the IV. Nicole looked at Jo, "Have you given her anything?"

"Just an Ondansetron injection. It's already slowing her nausea and vomiting," Jo explained.

"I hate to ask," Nicole explained, "but is there any chance she could be pregnant?"

Alex answered quickly, "No." Nicole looked at Jo as Jo slowly and subtly moved her head and shoulders to indicate it was within the realm of possibilities. Nicole nodded. The IV was flowing and it was time to transport Charlotte. Nicole looked at Alex and said, "You were right – getting a stretcher up those stairs would've been a bear, but policy is clear. We can't carry her, but we can't stop you from doing it."

Jo told the others that she'd drive over and meet them at the hospital. Alex, predictably, insisted on going with Charlotte. Nicole told him firmly that he was the dad and not the doctor if he chose to go with them. Alex reluctantly agreed as he carried his daughter down to the ambulance.

Once settled on the stretcher, Charlotte begged Alex to call Matt. He promised her he would call when they knew something. Charlotte, gathering every ounce of her meager strength, insisted he call immediately. Alex relented and found out Matt was at the hospital, having spent the night in Chris' room.

In the ER, Owen received the alert and the news that Charlotte was the patient. The ER had been unexpectedly quiet that morning, and Owen was thankful he could gather his staff for the news.

"Listen, people. We have an incoming 16 year old with varied symptoms. She's hematemesic, rapid pulse, low BP. We're going to need neuro and general surgery for sure. Other departments will be called as needed. Shepherd, Edwards, meet me in Trauma 1. Julie – put OB on alert. Bailey come with me to meet the ambulance." Owen said. Everyone nodded as Owen finished his summary, "Now remember you are medical providers. This patient is one of our own. It's Charlotte Karev. Meredith, I need you to stick with Alex. Kepner – page someone who can physically control Karev, then manage any other incoming. You're too close to be in on this."

"But, Chief…" April began to protest.

Owen ordered, "Let's go, people."

Bailey turned to Edwards and said, "You're not going in there. You can comfort Wilson."

"The Chief told me to come," Edwards protested.

"And I'm telling you to stay out of the room," Bailey ordered.

The ambulance pulled up and Owen immediately assured Alex, "Ok, Karev. We've got her now."

Meredith ran to Alex and grabbed his hand, saying, "Alex." Alex tried to show appreciation while insisting he run the call. He let go of Meredith's hand and began barking stats, "BP 90/60, pulse is 80 but she's a distance runner – that's high for her, her resting rate is usually in the 60s, persistent headache and vomiting, wea…"

Nicole and Owen glared as Meredith pulled Alex back, "Alex. You're with me. Stop. You're not the doctor right now."

"Hell if I'm not," Alex barked, "I'm not leaving her side." At the same moment, both Matt and Jo ran up to the scene.

"Karev, we love Charlotte too. We're her doctors and not her parents. Let us do our jobs," Bailey firmly offered. April had paged Jackson and he encountered the commotion just as they entered the building and as Bailey began speaking.

Avery approached and stood between Karev and Charlotte. "Punch me if you want, Alex, but you have to get through me to get into that Trauma room."

Alex stood still as he tried to convince Avery otherwise, "That's my kid, Avery. My kid. I need to be in there. I need to make sure they look at everything. She needs fluids, a head CT, blood work…"

Jackson interrupted, "You've got the best of the best in there, Alex. She's in great hands. Let's get you guys settled." April held up 4 fingers and pointed at Exam 4, Jackson nodded as he led the family to a private room.

Jo knew better than to follow Charlotte any further, but needed to share what Alex didn't know: that it was possible Charlotte was pregnant even though the home test was negative. With all the focus on Alex, Jo leaned toward Matt and encouraged him to approach Charlotte. Matt had no idea he was being used as a distraction. He ran to Charlotte and grasped her hand. The team entered the trauma room. Owen tried to sort out who Matt was as Charlotte weakly insisted he stay beside her.

With all eyes on the ruckus, Jo ran over to Kepner and said, "I need to listen to me and add bullets."

April, assuming Jo was over-reacting, insisted, "Dr. Karev, you need to stay in Exam 4."

Jo grabbed April's shoulders and gave the bullets quietly, "amenorrheic, possible pregnancy but just tested negative." Then Jo let go of April, smoothed the lapels with her hands, and turned toward Exam 4.

Kepner ran into the trauma room to help with Matt. "Matt, you can't be in here. The doctors need to work."

Matt explained to Kepner, "Charlotte wants me in here. That doctor said I could stay for a minute."

Bailey confirmed, "I did. He's fine for now, Kepner." Then Bailey turned to Matt and said, "But not for long, right?" Matt nodded.

As Owen attempted to perform a brief neuro exam, April looked sadly at Matt and added, "Two additional bullets: amenorrheic, possible pregnancy but just tested negative at home."

"No wonder you want him here. He's the Daddy if there's a baby, huh?" Bailey said quietly to Charlotte, who nodded with closed eyes.

"Ok, people, let's hear what you know," Owen declared.

One nurse offered, "IV fluids from the field still flowing, ready to hang another bag if needed."

"Heart rate slowed to 75 when boyfriend arrived," another nurse stated. "Pulse ox looks good."

Amelia added, "Ordered head CT. Drew blood. CBC, Chem 7. Also testing: ACTH, Cortisone, FSH, LH, Prolactin, TSH, IGF-1."

"I'm not sure she is truly hematemesic," Bailey added, "Looks like her throat is raw and bleeding lightly from all the vomiting."

Owen nodded, "Let's get her up to CT. Bailey – you'll update the family?"

Bailey nodded as she walked beside Matt and said, "This is when you need to step out. Say goodbye. You can come with me."

Matt leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Love you."

Charlotte opened her eyes just a touch, looked at Matt and repeated, "Love you."

Owen and Amelia followed a few steps behind as a nurse and orderly wheeled Charlotte toward the elevators. Owen said, "I couldn't even do a basic neuro exam – she resisted the light and turned away abruptly even when I encouraged her not to and tried to hold her chin. This may just be a bad migraine."

Amelia looked seriously toward Owen as she stated, "Way too early to know. It could also be any number of diagnoses: PMDD, meningitis, a cerebral aneurysm, cyclic vomiting without explanation, hyperemesis gravidarum, or a pituitary apoplexy. Where's OB?"

Owen shrugged his shoulders as he explained, "I told Keper to have them on standby. Let's see what the blood work shows."

As they approached the treatment room, Bailey asked Matt, "Do you want to walk in there with me? Wait in the waiting room or walk in there alone?"

"Good question," Matt sighed. "What's better – going in with you or before you?"

"Well, if I'm with you that's one more person for Karev to contend with," Bailey offered.

Matt nodded nervously, "I'll follow you in."

Bailey walked in and saw Alex, Jo, Stephanie, Meredith and Jackson seated throughout the room. She put her hand on Matt's back and said, "Now don't give him any trouble. He helped us calm your girl down." Bailey nodded as Matt walked over and stood by Jackson.

Jo stood up and hugged Matt, but Alex folded his arms and snapped, "What's the status?"

Bailey began, "Blood pressure and heart rate have improved slightly. Pulse ox is promising. Wilson…"

Jo interrupted, "I'm no longer, Wilson, Dr. Bailey."

Bailey waved her hand in the air and continued, uncharacteristically revealing the secret information, "Good job thinking of Ondansetron. No vomiting since she arrived. Now it's far too early for a diagnosis. This could be as simple as a migraine, pregnancy, or PMDD. It could be more complex. Brace yourselves – we'll probably be here awhile."

"Pregnancy?" Alex bellowed and looked at Matt. Alex turned to Bailey and asked firmly, "What's been ordered?"

"She's on her way to CT. Drs. Hunt and Shepherd are with her. Dr. Shepherd has ordered quite the blood panel."

"Neuro exam? Spinal tap? FSH, Prolactin and Cortisone levels?" Alex asked as if he was ordering the tests himself.

"Shepherd and Hunt are on it. We'll look at white blood cell, protein and glucose levels before worrying about a spinal tap. Don't get ahead of yourself, Karev," Bailey instructed. "Now I'm going to check on the blood work. I'll keep you posted."

"Can we at least be there during the CT?" Alex asked with a mixture of begging and insistence.

"You know that's not the protocol," Bailey disputed.

Alex walked over to Bailey. He stood over her and looked down, firmly saying, "And when has protocol ever been my first priority?" Jackson began to stand up.

"Oh, geez. Come on. Mom, Matt – you want to come too?" Bailey asked as she relented.

Jo smiled softly at Matt and encouraged him to come. Alex sneered as Jo walked out of the room with him. Bailey noticed the non-verbals and pulled Karev back, "Listen here. Get over that attitude. Your daughter has made it clear she wants her boyfriend with her. Whether you like it or not, we're going to honor that request. Now are you going to behave or should I call security?"

Alex growled, "Whatever. Let's go." He walked toward the elevators and caught up with Jo and Matt as Bailey headed to the lab.

The trio entered the CT control area just as Charlotte's scans were coming up. Hunt and Shepherd were seated and Hunt looked up at Alex and frowned, saying, "We could bring you the images."

"That's ok, we're here now anyway," Alex reasoned.

Amelia pointed at an area on the CT and said both to herself and to Owen, "The scan looks good. I'm just a little worried about this spot. Is that an unclear scan or a small hematoma?"

Alex and Jo leaned in to see for themselves. The vote was 2-2. Amelia turned to Alex and explained, "I'm sure you're aware of the controversy of MRIs during the 1st trimester. Let's see what the blood work is showing before we consider an MRI to get a better look at that spot."

Alex was just about to say something to Matt, when Owen called out, "I'm on it. I've got the lab on the phone." He listened and jotted down details on a piece of scratch paper then asked for the print out to be sent to the ER.

Owen continued, "MRI should be fine if we need it. Negative pregnancy. Meningitis is off the table. No results yet on pituitary apoplexy related blood work. That means migraine is a definite possibility. Dr. Shepherd, do you want to proceed with an MRI or treat for migraine first and then reassess?"

"The likelihood that we're looking at something more serious is remote. I'm more concerned about the level of dehydration. Has she been experiencing any double vision?" Amelia said as she turned to Matt, Alex, and Jo. Alex and Jo both shook their heads.

Nervously, Matt said, "She's been really tired and told me this morning that she felt like her eyes weren't focusing sometimes. She didn't say it was double vision."

Amelia responded. "Did she mention seeing flashing lights, sensing peculiar smells, or seeing transparent shapes floating in her line of vision?"

"She mentioned how smells were making her feel sicker and how she was seeing clear circles swimming around her eyes even if she closed her eyes," Matt responded. "She has been avoiding bright lights – she told me they hurt her eyes."

"She avoided my penlight this morning," Alex added.

Owen stated, "She did the same in the trauma room."

Amelia grinned with relief, "Folks, I'm pretty sure we're dealing with a kid with a really severe migraine. I want to check into the unclear image on the CT, but I'll monitor her and worry about that after we get her rehydrated, rested, and out of pain. I'll order Sumavel and Thorazine. If we have to, we can try some Demerol too. Any questions?" Alex, Matt, and Jo shook their heads, relieved that what first appeared dire now looked highly treatable.


	28. Chapter 28 - Time Alone

**Chapter 28**

**Time Alone**

Saturday night finally arrived, and Charlotte's migraine and post-migraine exhaustion had come and gone. Charlotte, still very much grounded, was looking forward to a break from her currently boring existence and a night with Zola and Bailey. Unless the hospital called Meredith in, Meredith would be with Charlotte all night. Consequently, Alex agreed to let Charlotte watch Shepherd's kids.

Having their night free from parenting and from the hospital, Alex and Jo decided to go out to a nice dinner and figure out a game plan regarding Charlotte and Matt's 3 hour visit. Jo had not yet decided how or if to mention the pregnancy test to Alex. Wanting time to think on his own before the discussion, Alex headed directly from the hospital to the bar adjacent to the restaurant an hour before the couple was set to meet.

Meanwhile, after a week of hob knobbing and networking with Jake's potential new colleagues, Addison Montgomery Reilly was thankful to finally be able to take a deep breath and relax. She was looking forward to a rare opportunity to be alone before meeting her husband, Jake, and Derek for dinner. Earlier in the week, when she asked Derek about possible babysitters, he assured Addison that the babysitter he'd arranged for his kids on Saturday could easily handle another child. Addison met Derek and Meredith at their home and dropped Henry off. Then, knowing she was running early, Addison excused herself and headed to the restaurant. When she walked through the door, she was surprised to see Alex sitting at the bar alone. She walked up to him, grinning and saying, "Dr. Alex Karev, as I live and breathe."

Alex looked up and saw Addison. He smiled and responded with surprise, "Addison, I thought LA has stolen you away forever."

Addison sat down next to Alex and looked at him thoughtfully, "So why is Alex Karev sitting in a bar alone on a Saturday night? Trolling for a last minute Saturday night date or has life changed more than it appears?"

Alex gave Addison a sly grin and said, "You wouldn't believe how much life has changed."

Addison responded, "Try me." She looked at her phone and noted the time, "I'll be waiting at least 45 minutes for my dinner companions."

Alex looked at his watch and said, "That's about how much time I have. Can I get you to drink?" Addison took him up on his offer and Alex got the bartender's attention so he could order a round. "Where do I even begin?" Alex asked, "It's been what? About 10 years?"

"Something like that," Addison replied, "A long time for certain."

Alex said, "I'm still at the hospital, ends up I never left. After a Peds fellowship there, I briefly tried joining a practice, but came back to GS as a Peds attending. I bought Mer's house a few years ago, and married my wife about two years ago." Alex chuckled and looked down at his hands, "and we have a daughter named Charlotte."

A wide smile filled Addison's face as she honestly and graciously observed, "Alex, I imagine that you are an amazing father and husband."

Alex looked at her and chuckled, "You always have been pretty good at BSing people."

Addison nudged Alex on the arm and said convincingly, "When old friends reunite, there's no need for any BS. I mean it. I bet that once you grew up, you were able to transition quite well."

"How about you?" Alex inquired.

Addison leaned back on the barstool and offered, "I'm still working in maternal-fetal medicine and loving it. I remarried and we have a preschooler named Henry. We live in the LA area, but my husband, Jake, is being vetted for a job at the medical school at UW. Ironically enough, he is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist."

"Ironically?" Alex asked.

Addison responded, "After numerous attempts to get pregnant, I finally gave up trying. Our son is adopted."

Alex nodded his head slowly and said, "Aah." Scrunching up his face, Alex shared, "So is our daughter…kind of."

Laughing softly, Addison inquired, "How do you kind of adopt a child?"

"About a month after we got married, my sister called me out of the blue. My college girlfriend, Sophie, was dying from end stage cancer and wanted me to take custody of our 15 year old daughter that I had no idea existed. I was a dad all those years, but Sophie never told anyone. She'd raised Charlotte alone," Alex explained.

"Wow. What a tailspin, huh?" Addison observed. Then she grinned and asked, "This teenage daughter of yours? Is she giving you a run for her your money? I apologize Alex, but the thought of you parenting a teenage girl is fairly entertaining."

Alex laughed, "Yeah, pretty much. She's a handful, always in trouble for something stupid. I'm always worrying about whether or not she and her boyfriend are having sex, even though I really like the guy. She's skilled at drama in all forms and all that teen girl crap. Even with all that, I'm nuts about her. The love I have for that kid…it's incredible."

Addison grinned and fixed her gaze on Alex, imagining him interacting with a teenage girl.

Continuing, Alex added, "Actually, Charlotte's babysitting for Shepherd tonight. I guess he's having dinner with someone and Mer is on call."

"The coincidences around here never cease to amaze me. My husband and I are meeting Derek for dinner and, just an hour or so ago, he expertly charmed your daughter into babysitting my son as well as his kids," Addison explained.

Looking at Addison, Alex joked, "That's no problem as far as I'm concerned as long as you're paying her. The kid needs to start saving for college."

Smiling gently, Addison asked, "Any babies with your wife?"

Alex looked up at Addison sadly, "I wish. We've had our hands full with our daughter and all of the adjustments. And, of course, working at the hospital keeps us both busy."

"I'd recommend babies. Those years are fairly incredible most of the time," Addison advised.

Alex asked Addison to clarify, "You said your husband is a fertility specialist?"

Addison nodded her head and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"We've been trying for about 18 months. My wife wants to consult someone. I've been holding off, but maybe it is time to start looking into reasons."

"I'm sure Jake would be more than happy to connect with you and your wife," Addison offered as she opened her purse and handed Alex one of Jake's cards. "What is her name?"

"Jo. Jo Karev." Alex said. "Like half the hospital, I fell in love with an intern. She's a 4th year now, thinking about ortho."

Addison giggled and teased, "You weren't kidding, you _are _robbing the cradle."

Alex grinned mischievously and mused, "Addison Montgomery, I'm pretty sure I've missed you." The two laughed as Addison looked down at her empty drink and Karev ordered another round. The two laughed and commiserated about old times as they waited for their dinner companions.

After the third round, Jo arrived. She walked into the bar and cocked her head when she saw her husband sitting at the bar with a gorgeous redhead. When she noticed that he was also laughing like a hyena, she narrowed her eyes as she studied the scene. Jo came up from behind and put her arm around Alex's shoulder as she kissed him on the cheek. Jo wondered, "How long have you been waiting?" Then she offered her hand to Addison and introduced herself, "Hi. I don't believe we've met. I'm Jo Karev, Alex's _wife_."

Addison sputtered, "I seem to remember saying something incredibly similar in the halls of the hospital about 10 years ago." Beyond tipsy, Addison and Alex burst into hysterics. Jo simply looked at with them with a hint of suspicion and a reluctant smile. Addison gathered herself enough to clarify, "I'm Derek Shepherd's first wife."

Jo continued to look puzzled as she tried to engage in conversation, "So you live here in Seattle?"

"We might be relocating here from the LA area," Addison explained. "My husband is interviewing for a teaching position at the UW medical school."

Curious, Jo asked, "In what capacity?"

"He's a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. Since we were in town, we arranged to have dinner with Derek and Meredith. Meredith ended up on call, so it'll just be me and the boys. I understand your daughter is the wonderful girl who agreed to watch my son while she's watching Derek's kids tonight."

Jo smiled in response, "Charlotte absolutely adores children – she'll enjoy adding another kiddo into the mix. You said your husband is a fertility specialist?"

Alex interjected, "I was telling Addison we should sit down with her husband." Alex shrugged innocently and continued, "You know, just to see if he has any insights or suggestions."

Having just met Addison and hearing that her husband was sharing her pregnancy struggles openly, Jo grasped Alex's hand under the bar very tightly and said with a forced grin, "You've been chatting about how we been trying, huh, honey?"

Alex, slow on the uptake after a few beers, whined, "Hey, I have to operate with that hand."

Addison nearly sprayed her drink all over the bar, gathering that Jo was not particularly pleased about Alex's openness. Attempting to smooth out the situation, Addison offered, "Alex was one of my interns. I am a neonatal surgeon and OB/GYN and he studied under me." Both of them broke into laughter at the unintended innuendo.

Jo, completely sober, grinned and said, "Pardon me. I'll be right back." Alex and Addison looked at each other and broke into laughter again. Jo stood by the door to the bar and called to check in on Charlotte.

Alex commented, "Under you? Thanks a hell of a lot, Addison. Not only is my wife wondering why I'm sitting with a gorgeous redhead getting drunk in a bar, now she's pissed because she's probably figured out we slept together." Hysterical laughter filled the bar as Jake walked in and spotted Addy.

Looking at Alex, Addison pointed out, "And just who haven't you slept with, Alex?" Alex put his hands up and smirked.

Derek happened to walk in just steps after Jake. He saw Jo and put his hand on her shoulder as he greeted her with a grin. When he saw Addy and Alex cracking themselves up, he thought _I'm so glad I don't have to intervene or worry about that._

Jake approached Addison and kissed her cheek. He introduced himself to Alex, assuming Alex was Derek. Addison and Alex found the mistake deeply entertaining. Then Derek approached the group and offered his hand to Jake. Alex looked over and made eye contact with Jo, motioning her over and offering the most endearing expression he could muster. Jo nodded and pointed to her phone, holding up a hand with her index finger extended.

"You're joining us for dinner, Alex?" Derek asked with grace.

Alex shook his head, "No. Jo and I have reservations. My girl's all settled over at your place?"

"Actually," Derek explained, "she and Meredith hatched a plan to take all the kids to your place so Meredith was closer to the hospital if she was called in."

"Makes sense," Alex nodded. Jo walked up, introduced herself to Jake and said hello to Derek.

With her social filter impaired by alcohol, Addison told Jake a bit loudly, "Honey, you need to speak with Jo – she and Alex have been trying and…"

Derek closed his eyes, again thankful he was not responsible for managing the tipsy Addison. Jake gently put a finger on Addison's lips, smiling and offering, "Addison…shhhhhh." Then Jake turned to Derek and motioned him toward the maître d', chuckling, "This should be an entertaining evening." Derek smiled in response as the three headed into the restaurant. As he walked away, Jake subtly set a card down on the bar and made eye contact with Jo.

Jo sat down next to Alex and widened her eyes as she leaned into him, "How much have you had to drink?"

Alex smirked, "I lost count…3 or 4 drinks. Maybe 5...I dunno…6?" He winked, "Should we just skip dinner and head home?"

Jo observed with patience, "Nah, eating would be a good idea." Alex shrugged in agreement.

After dinner, Addison, Jake and Derek headed to Alex and Jo's to pick up their kids. Rather than stopping in briefly, everyone joined Meredith in the living room. The impromptu party was full of storytelling and laughing.

Jo excused herself to the kitchen in search of snacks, and Jake offered to assist. Neither was drinking and both welcomed the break from the gathering of old friends. After a bit of small talk, Jo broke the ice and mentioned to Jake that she'd like to connect with him about why she was having trouble becoming pregnant.

Jake shared his initial observation, "You're dealing with secondary infertility? You must have been a young first-time mom."

Shaking her head, Jo explained, "No. I've never been pregnant. Charlotte's my step-daughter."

"Oh, and you're in your 4th year of a surgical residency, right?" Jake asked. Jo nodded and Jake shared, "That alone could be the problem. Residency is a high stress reality."

"Maybe," Jo agreed reluctantly.

"But you'd feel more comfortable if you underwent some testing?" Jake smiled as he popped some popcorn in his mouth.

Jo shared a smile of relief, "I think so."

"I'm fairly sure Addison and I will be moving up to Seattle if I'm offered the position at UW," Jake mentioned, "If you'd rather not wait, we could always begin assessing the situation while I'm still in LA. Maybe coming down there could give you a great excuse for a few days away with your husband."

Jo beamed at the thought and replied, "I'd love that. We could arrange something after Christmas. I'll talk to Alex."

Alex came up from behind Jo and reached into the popcorn bowl, "Talk to Alex about what?"

"Jake was just offering to do some initial testing down in LA – we could have a mini-vacation and get away for a few days," Jo explained.

Jake, wanting to give Alex and Jo some privacy as they discussed the possibility, offered to take the popcorn to the living room.

Alex stood in front of Jo grasping the counter with a hand on either side of her. He leaned in and kissed her, whispering, "I'd love some time alone with you."

Jo smiled sweetly, pointing out, "Right now, we have guests in the living room."

Leaning into her even closer, Alex said suggestively, "They're all drunk. We could sneak upstairs and they'd never know."

As Jo and Alex stood in the kitchen kissing, Alex slipped his hand under her shirt. His other hand held her butt as he pulled her in closer. Charlotte walked in, "Really, you guys?"

"I love my wife. Is that a problem?" Alex teased.

"Not a problem, Dad. Just get a room. I don't need to see you sucking face and grabbing ass," Charlotte said dryly.

"Language," Jo advised. Charlotte looked at Jo incredulously and rolled her eyes.


	29. Chapter 29 - A Christmas Baby? Oh, Jesus

**Chapter 29**

**A Christmas Baby? Oh, Jesus.**

On Christmas Eve, as she waited for Alex to arrive home from the hospital, Jo received a call from their lawyer. He told her that the judge had signed the adoption paperwork and that Jo was now officially Charlotte's mother. In many ways, the paperwork had seemed more like a formality than anything else. Now that it had occurred and was real, Jo found herself numbly and slowly hanging up the phone as she attempted to take in the reality. The news felt surreal. She was now a mother.

As Jo moved at the speed of a sloth, Charlotte came bounding into the kitchen after an energizing run. "Hey, is Dad home yet?" Charlotte asked.

"No. Soon," Jo said blankly as she leaned against the counter and gazed out the window.

Charlotte glanced over at Jo, noticing that she seemed to be in a dream world. "What's up with you?" she asked as she rummaged around in the fridge for a drink.

Jo shook her head rapidly and attempted to re-engage. She beamed and shared, "I just spoke to our lawyer. The judge signed the paperwork." Jo paused and raised her shoulders, declaring with a grin, "I just became a mother and you're my Christmas baby."

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows and scoffed, "What are you talking about?! You've been a mother for the last two years, you weirdo."

Laughing softly, Jo responded, "So much for our Hallmark moment, Charlotte."

"I can come over and give you a big sweaty hug if you'd like. Would that help?" Charlotte asked sarcastically.

"No, thank you, Miss Karev," Jo grinned.

Charlotte sat down on a bar stool, Gatorade in hand. She gazed at Jo, who had returned to chopping vegetables. Sensing she was being watched, Jo turned and asked, "What?"

"I'm sorry I was such a brat for so long after I moved here. I went from really liking you when we met in Iowa to really resenting you after Mom died," Charlotte confessed. Jo turned around and leaned against the counter again as she looked at her daughter.

Continuing, Charlotte offered thoughtfully, "I was determined to not let you into my heart because I didn't want you replacing Mom. Besides that, I felt like I had to compete with you for Dad's attention even though you truly never go in the way of our relationship. Then, one day, I was talking with Sheryl about it for the 6000th time. She pointed out that my heart was big enough for two moms. I remember her saying to me, 'Really, how lucky is that? You've been blessed with two moms who love you.' Deep down, I knew she had a point, but I just couldn't soften myself. I was petrified that loving you would mean loving Mom less, like I'd begin to forget her. Then I had that horrible hangover. Even though I didn't deserve an ounce of sympathy or kindness, you went above and beyond to help me. I'll never forget how humbling that was for me. Your efforts felt like deep grace." Jo felt a few tears slip down her cheek, but, sensing Charlotte was not done, said nothing in response. Charlotte looked out the window for a few seconds and then resumed, "My mom…Sophie… was my bio mom. My first mom. I still miss her so much and I'll always love her. And here you are, willing to adopt me after all the crap I've put you through and after how rotten I've been to you. Only someone who loves their kid deeply could adopt them after all that. I'm going to like having you as my next mom." Charlotte grinned and then jumped off the barstool, remarking, "I'm going to hop in the shower."

Before Jo could react or respond, Charlotte was halfway up the stairs. Jo stood in the kitchen soaking in the beauty and honesty of Charlotte's words, thinking how proud she was to have such a wonderful daughter.

Alex came around the corner and wiped his eyes. As he approached Jo and wrapped her in a huge embrace, he remarked, "I came home at just the right moment."

Jo rested her head on his chest, asking, "How long were you standing there?"

Chuckling, Alex explained, "Since you dreamily said you'd just become a mother, you called Charlotte your Christmas baby, and Charlotte called you a weirdo."

"Yes," Jo boasted, "Our daughter has such a way with words."

Alex lifted Jo up onto the counter, kissing her face, her neck, and her hands. He leaned his head on her chest and nuzzled her, whispering, "Thank you. You've not only made me a better man. You've made me a better dad."

"I'm going to cry if you keep that up," Jo giggled as she kissed Alex's forehead. Alex stood close to the counter between Jo's legs as he caressed her thighs. The couple looked deeply into each other's eyes and held their gaze. With a sly grin, Alex put his hands on either side of Jo's waist and flipped her over his shoulder. She giggled and let out a squeal.

As he carried her up the stairs, Alex whooped as they reached the bedroom doorway, "She's in the shower. We've got a good 15-20 minutes. I'll be fast." Alex threw Jo onto the bed as he hurriedly stripped. Laying on her back, Jo shuffled out of her clothes and threw them on the floor. Alex glided onto the bed and began kissing Jo's entire body as he worked his way up from her feet to her face. Jo beamed in delight as she reached for his shoulders, his back, then his butt. Quick or not, holding one another energized them both.

Afterward, they climbed under the blankets, kissed, and snuggled. When Charlotte opened the bathroom door, the couple realized that they hadn't closed their bedroom door. Alex grumbled quietly, "Crap. Door's open." Jo put her index finger over Alex's mouth and then hid herself completely under the comforter, pulling Alex underneath alongside her. They hid, attempting not to laugh.

Charlotte walked by, stating dryly, "I'd suggest you two get a room, but…well, you're already in your room. Did you really think hiding under the blankets was going to somehow fool me? You two are like freakin' rabbits." Charlotte closed the door and proceeded to her room, as Alex and Jo burst out laughing.


	30. Chapter 30 - Tests

**Chapter 30**

**Tests**

Just a while later, the Karevs heading over to April and Jackson's apartment. Charlotte had convinced Alex and Jo to join her for Christmas Eve service at church. When April found out, she invited them to have dinner at her house and then head to church together. Jackson and Alex slipped away from the kitchen and began chatting about work. They both wanted to be supportive, but were not particularly thrilled to be spending Christmas Eve sober and, then later, at church. Being the surgery junkies that they were, they both wished they were at the hospital that evening.

Jo and Charlotte helped April finish dinner preparations as April and Charlotte chatted about Christmas traditions. Jo, having not really had many traditions or even many Christmases growing up, listened gracefully. Since Charlotte had moved in, Jo and Alex pretty much let her set the tone for family events. They said it was so Charlotte's familiar traditions could continue as she'd always known them. In truth, they did so because neither had much to bring from their own childhoods.

After dinner, the group headed to worship and sat with the Bauers. At least knew Alex and Jo knew some of the old standard hymns like _Silent Night _and _Joy to the World. _More than anything, though, Alex enjoyed having Erin and Lizzy on either side of him. By the end of the service, both girls were asleep and Alex's arms were wrapped around them. Everyone else fussed over Chris' cast, which he proudly showed off.

Occasionally, Sheryl grasped April's hand. Holidays were the times she missed Dean the most. Since he'd died just before Christmas, December was always the most challenging time of year. The group surrounded Sheryl and her family with support. At the end of service, Alex carried Erin and Jackson carried Lizzie out to Sheryl's car. Silently, both men wished they had their own little girl to carry to a car. Although nobody but Sheryl spoke of their grief, everyone had their own sense of loss as they missed family members to come or those who had died. Memories and anticipation of new memories filled the cold December night as the group yearned for Sophie, Dean, and unborn, not-yet-conceived babies.

Christmas morning came and went without much fuss. Jo, Alex, and Charlotte had a pleasant and restful morning together. Jo, still in a motherhood trance, couldn't stop fawning over Charlotte, hugging her and admiring her. While she'd cared deeply for Charlotte and loved her over the last two years, there was something magical about officially becoming her mother that caused Jo's heart to expand and to sing. Much to her own surprise, Charlotte found that she didn't mind Jo's attention. In fact, she found having a mom again to be quite wonderful.

After a quiet morning at home, Charlotte headed over to Matt's. Sheryl had encouraged Alex and Jo to join them, but they chose to stay home. They had invited friends and colleagues from the hospital over for Christmas dinner and hoped for some down time before everyone arrived.

Alex and Jo had asked Charlotte and Matt to come over an hour before friends began arriving at the Karev's. Returning home on cloud nine, Charlotte showed her parents the ½ carat diamond earrings Matt had given her. Alex tried to be impressed although he found the extravagant gift excessive. Even though money was no object, the idea of such a substantial gift for a 16 ½ year old made Alex uneasy. Charlotte, of course, wore the earrings all evening. Unlike the early days of their relationship when Charlotte encouraged Matt to tell Alex about his dad's car collection, she had learned the art of subtlety by watching Sheryl. The unspoken understanding was that one didn't point out or speak about fancy earrings, being a Bauer, or being affiliated with their fortune.

Charlotte's shiny baubles were accompanied by the multi-faceted news that Matt had been accepted to Stanford through the early admissions process. Matt reported that Sheryl, who had attended Stanford, was thrilled with the news. At the same time, Sheryl was eager for Matt to hear from Harvard, his father's alma mater. While happy about Matt's success, Charlotte's heart was breaking at the thought of Matt being far away the following year. Matt reassured her that this was just the first admissions news and that more schools would be in touch in the coming months. Nothing had yet been decided. Even so, Charlotte knew that nearly all the other possibilities were just as far, if not farther, away.

On the morning of the 26th, Alex woke Charlotte up for a run. With the snow and ice on the roads that month, running together had become a less frequent occurrence. Alex was looking forward to the run and the time with his daughter. He was determined to have some quality conversation with Charlotte before the upcoming conversation he, Jo, and Sheryl planned to have with Matt and Charlotte later that morning.

As the two set out on their regular trek, Alex asked his daughter, "So how are you feeling about Stanford?"

Charlotte said nothing for a few minutes, then offered, "I want to be happy for him, Dad. I really do. But, between you and I, I can't imagine what it will be like next year when he's gone. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry."

"I'm sure it does. You two have gotten pretty serious," Alex observed.

"Do you promise not to freak out if I tell you something, Dad?" Charlotte asked, continuing to run and look forward.

Alex chuckled, "Charlotte, with you and your track record, I'm not sure I can do that. But if I say 'no,' you won't tell me, right?"

"Pretty much," she confirmed.

Alex thought and then suggested, "How about if I promise to listen until you've finished speaking and if I find myself tense, I'll run the other way and meet you at home?"

"That works," Charlotte agreed. "Now, keep in mind that this isn't something you're going to like to hear." Alex nodded, keeping his promise to not speak until he'd heard the whole rundown.

"You remember the night of the pregnancy test?" Charlotte asked with trepidation.

"Mmmm Hmmm…" Alex responded.

Charlotte took in a deep breath, "Mom covered for me. That test was mine."

Alex stopped and looked at Charlotte, "So you lied?"

"Actually, you never gave me a chance to answer." Charlotte stated factually.

"But you let me apologize for my assumption and didn't correct me. You had an opportunity to clarify, right?" Alex asked.

"Right," Charlotte stated.

"I'd like to talk, but it's too cold to stop out here. Let's head home." The two completed their run. When they reached home, they both sat down on the couch. They each leaned against one arm of the couch, facing the other.

"So you lied," Alex stated flatly.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was scared – scared what the result of the test might be, scared because you were yelling, just scared," Charlotte explained.

"I lost my temper that night," Alex admitted. "I was pretty furious."

"It hurt that you assumed it was mine," Charlotte added.

Alex rolled his eyes, "But it was yours."

Charlotte looked her dad in the eye and mumbled through tears that were forming in her eyes, "I know it was mine, but you just assumed it was mine. You didn't ask. That hurt."

"How can I trust you, Charlotte? It seems like every time you get a little freedom, you screw it up. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you don't give me much reason to," Alex said as he folded his arms.

Charlotte rested her head on the back of the couch. Her lips were quivering as she attempted to hold in tears, "You're right. I don't know what to say, Dad."

"I'm not going to flip out, and I'm not going to figure this out right now." Alex said, surprising himself with his calm demeanor. Then he looked at the clock and said, "Matt and Sheryl will be here soon. Let's go get ready. We'll talk about the test after they leave."

Sheryl, Alex and Jo had met previously to discuss what they wanted to say to their kids. They were all aware that forbidding sex would only lead to sneaking around and deceit. The key concerns were birth control and honesty. More than anything, Charlotte's "but I asked Dr. Shepherd" excuse infuriated Alex and Jo. After the run, Alex was also concerned about the pregnancy test.

Leaving the younger kids with Emily, Sheryl and Matt arrived at the Karev's house mid-morning on the 26th. The adults were determined to not act awkward, although nobody was particularly comfortable with the topic and discussion. Jo and Sheryl had encouraged Alex to begin by laying out the reality: Charlotte and Matt were having sex. The moms planned to chat about birth control and honesty. The five sat around the kitchen table and the kids held hands while trying not to make eye contact with anyone except one another.

Alex began, as he'd be assigned to do, "We all know why we're here, so let me just say it. We know the two of you are sexually active. All three of us wish that wasn't the case, but it is. Now, our biggest concern is that you're careful going forward."

Sheryl offered, "We all understand that the two of you are in love. Charlotte, I love you like one of my own, and, Matt, I know the Karev's feel the same way about you. As uncomfortable as this feels, we all really want to stress that we expect you to use birth control. To us, that's non-negotiable at this point."

"And we hope you feel the same way," Jo added. "Have you given any thought to that?"

Throughout the conversation thus far, Matt and Charlotte had looked at the ceiling, out the window, and at the table. They were horrified to be sitting together with all their parents having this discussion. Matt and Charlotte had also chatted before the big conversation, and Matt had agreed to do most of the talking.

Answering Jo, Matt looked past Jo but in her general direction. "We've talked about it. Since the first time, we've been careful."

"Careful how?" Alex asked with a hint of a growl.

"We've been careful, Dad. We've used birth control. Do we really need to go into detail?" Charlotte insisted.

Alex shrugged and said, "Yeah. I think so." He was determined to not make this easy. Charlotte let go of Matt's hand and put her face into both of her hands.

Matt bravely looked right at Alex and answered, "I've used condoms, Dr. Karev. Charlotte and I have talked about considering other options, like the pill or implant."

"That's very responsible. I'm glad to hear you've talked about options," Jo assured. "Charlotte, you're willing to see a doctor?"

Charlotte nodded, looked at Jo, and explained, "As long as she isn't one of your colleagues. That'd just be too weird." Alex nodded his head in agreement, thinking it would be awkward for him too.

Sheryl added, "I know this is a tough conversation, you guys, but we've all agreed on one additional expectation. As long as you're using birth control, all we…"

"Mom," Matt said flatly.

Holding up her hand, Sheryl continued, "Matthew, let me finish. All we're asking is that you not have sex when the kids are around nor in public places. Be discreet."

Alex added, "I really don't want to be around either. Add me to that list."

Charlotte closed her eyes and sighed heavily, "No worries, Dad. No worries." Charlotte began to get up from the table and Matt followed her cue.

"Sit back down, please," Jo insisted. "We're not quite finished."

"What else needs to be said?" Charlotte asked.

Jo offered, "The three of us talked about whether or not to continue this discussion separately – your dad and I with you, Charlotte, and Sheryl with Matt. We decided to stick together for it. Our bigger concern is trust. I believe you both when you say you didn't have sex at The Shepherd's, but we all agree that you both knew those three hours violated our expectations and rules."

"Mom, we've already talked about this," Matt said to Sheryl.

"So have we," Charlotte proclaimed.

Alex stated clearly, "And now we're discussing it further."

Sheryl had been appointed to name the consequences since the three adults agreed the kids would take it best from her. She shared, "Being together that night was sneaky and dishonest. We are all really disappointed. The consequences I'm about to share have nothing to do with whether or not the two of you are sexually active, they have to do with the dishonesty. We consider it a serious violation of trust."

Sheryl paused and looked at both Charlotte and Matt until they met her gaze. Then she resumed, "Earning back trust takes time, so the results of what happened will take some time too. For the rest of Christmas Break, which is just a day shy of two weeks, neither of you will be unsupervised. Between the three of us, we'll make sure an adult is with you at all times. No phones, no electronics, and no cars until school starts on the 8th. Then, you'll each get your car back but only to go to and from school. Depending on how that all plays out, you can earn more freedom and have your phones and electronics back sometime later in the month."

Matt squeezed Charlotte's hand, thankful that Alex wasn't going to kill him for defiling Charlotte. Speaking for both of them, Matt offered, "We understand." He looked at Charlotte and nodded as he added, "I speak for both of us when I say we're sorry. We were out of line."


	31. Chapter 31 - Taking Notes

**Chapter 31**

**Taking Notes**

Alex sat at the lunch table eating by himself and reading the latest edition of the _Neonatology, Fetal and Neonatal Research _journal. The article discussed Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, and he was furiously and uncharacteristically taking notes. He was fascinated by the possibility that he and Jo could use IVF to screen out genetic disorders that ran in his family, such as schizophrenia and addiction. The longer he read, the more intrigued Alex became.

Jo came up from behind, leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, and looked over Alex's shoulder, startling him, "What are you reading? You look completely absorbed."

Alex quickly closed the journal, saying, "Nothing." He looked at Jo and grinned, adding, "Just killing time while I've been waiting for you. How's your day so far?"

Jo, reaching for the journal, responded, "Good." Alex moved the journal further away and Jo continued, "Well, can I borrow it?"

"Why?" he asked with a wink, "You don't have time to read. And if you do, I'll tell Torres she needs to give you more to do."

Laughing, Jo playfully tried to grab the journal again as Alex extended his arm to keep it out of her reach, "You are rotten. What's the secret?"

Putting the journal under his tray, Alex took a big bite of salad and said, "No secret. Just not done reading it. Article about neonatal post-op monitoring that I want to read. You can have it when I'm done."

Jo looked at Alex quizzically, responding reluctantly, "Ok." She asked him about his day and they shared stories from their mornings. Jo explained that she and Callie had a big surgery in the afternoon, so Alex would need to deal with Charlotte.

"No problem," Alex agreed, "Where is she now?"

"I told her she could volunteer in the daycare this afternoon. Mary promised to let me know if Charlotte leaves the room," Jo explained.

"She told me this morning that she feels like she's '_in prison'._ Man that kid is dramatic," Alex observed. "I wish I could drop her off at juvie so she could see how easy she has it."

"She and Matt both seem to be taking this latest separation poorly. I spoke to Sheryl this morning when Chris came in for a check up on his arm. She said that Matt's been moping around the house, sighing," Jo giggled.

Alex laughed, "He's been taking lessons from Spider." Alex's pager sounded and he looked down to see the details, "Damn, it's the NICU."

"Go," Jo insisted. "I'll clear your tray. Go save a baby," she concluded with a smile of admiration. Alex grabbed the journal, kissed Jo and ran off toward the baby in distress.

After Jo finished eating, she grabbed both trays and noticed that Alex had left his notes behind. The notebook, a 5" x 8" standard hospital spiral with the Grey Sloan logo on the front, was open to the page he'd been writing on. Jo glanced down at the scrawls and wondered to herself, _What the hell is PGD and why would he have notes on it? _She shrugged and put the notebook in her lab coat pocket, planning to drop it by the NICU after checking in with Callie.

When Jo arrived at Ortho, Callie was just about to page her. "Oh, good, you're here. Listen, an OR opened up unexpectedly so we're rushing Mrs. Runion to surgery _now_. Do whatever you need to do and get to OR 7 asap." Jo nodded and went into the Resident's Lounge across the hallway to hang up her coat. She grabbed Alex's notebook, hoping she could give it to someone who could deliver it to Alex.

When she approached OR 7, Callie was performing CPR on Mrs. Runion. Callie called out to Jo to call a code. Jo set Alex's notebook on the counter and did as Callie requested. In the chaos that followed as Jo attempted to help Callie with Mrs. Runion, Jo completely forgot about the notebook.

Coming out of OR 5, Amelia spotted what she believed to be her notebook on the counter. She stared at it from afar with a confused expression, thinking, _That's funny. I don't remember having my notes down here. Why would I have left them there?_ Without looking at the notes or notebook, Amelia grabbed the familiar looking book and headed up to her office.

When she arrived in her office, Amelia set the notebook down, put her coffee cup on it, and flopped onto her couch. About 20 minutes later, Owen offered a quick knock on the door of Amelia's office before proceeding inside. He paused and smiled as he spotted Amelia fast asleep. His morning had been frantically busy, so he decided to sit down in a side chair and put his feet up for a few minutes. He reached out his hand and grasped Amelia's tiny hand in his before falling asleep himself.

Meanwhile, Alex was retracing his steps and was stressed about the whereabouts of his notebook. Not only did the notebook contain the PGD information, it also had the details for his family's flight to LA, some post-op notes he hadn't charted yet, and his to do list. Alex had already returned to the cafeteria and looked around the area where he'd eaten. He'd also asked around to see if anyone had spotted it. He waited at the elevators for the right elevator to arrive so he could see if he'd dropped it in there. Then he retraced his steps to the NICU, looking in any nook or cranny for a stray notebook. The NICU, always a flurry of loose paperwork, was the worst place to misplace anything. Finding a notebook in there would be like locating a tiny shell in the vast ocean.

Back in Amelia's office, Meredith knocked on the door, startling both of the sleeping doctors. Amelia was especially startled because Owen, who had not been in her office earlier, was beside her and holding her hand. She woke up, smiled softly, and sleepily offered, "Hey, O." Even though her coffee was cold, Amelia grabbed the cup and took a drink – she'd take any caffeine she could find.

Owen smirked as he stretched, admitting, "I came to check in and I guess I fell asleep." Amelia smiled and headed toward her office door.

"Hi Meredith, what's up?" Amelia asked. "Come on in."

Meredith walked in and saw Owen, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt?"

Owen shook his head and said, "No. Not at all." He grabbed the notebook, assuming it was his. As he headed out the door, he leaned over and kissed Amelia on the cheek suggesting, "Let's catch up later."

"You two are sure getting chummy," Meredith observed with a grin.

Ignoring her sister-in-law, Amelia asked, "What's up, Mer?" Meredith explained she was going to be in surgery and was wondering if Amelia could help with the kids until 7pm. As the two chatted about logistics, they headed into the hallway and toward the main desk in the hospital lobby. By the time they descended the stairs, they had their evening figured out. Amelia headed toward the Conference Room and Meredith walked over toward the waiting area.

Nearby, Alex was at the desk chatting with an intake clerk. "You know, it is one of those smaller notebooks with the hospital logo on it. It's about this big," Alex described as he held out his hands. "I can't figure out where it could be and it looks like every other notebook in this freakin' place." The clerk apologized and repeated that she hadn't seen it, but that she'd let Alex know if it appeared.

Arizona overheard the clerk's apology and approached the counter. "You lost a notebook? Since when do you take notes?" Arizona teased Alex.

"Very funny," Alex grumbled. "Yes, I did lose a notebook. If you see one, let me know. One with all sort of details about questions to ask Addison's expert husband, that also has some uncharted patient notes, and some information I jotted down today about PGD."

"PGD?" Arizona asked with confusion. "Why are you looking into that?"

"I came across an article about a recent study expanding which genetic mutations can be filtered out in IVF conception. The article mentioned being able to determine which embryos carry genes for schizophrenia and addiction. I figured it might be something worth looking into given all the crap my genes carry. But that's going to be hard to do if I don't find the damn notebook, which also, by the way, has the flight information for my family's flight to LA tonight," Alex fretted.

Arizona looked at Alex thoughtfully, "Have you considered the ethics in that sort of process?"

Alex scrunched up his face and said, "In lost notebooks? Or flying?"

"No, Alex," Arizona said sounding a little perturbed, "with hand selecting genetically sound embryos. Are you going to choose the gender too? Or the hair and eye color? How far can you take this?"

Alex stopped walking and stared at Arizona, "If you had an opportunity to make sure your kid didn't have a potentially life altering or fatal condition, wouldn't you consider it?"

Pursing her lips, Arizona returned Alex's stare, warning, "It just seems like a slippery slope. That's all I'm saying. Certainly it's worth looking into, just be mindful of the ethical implications as you consider it."

"Well, it's gonna be hard to think about it if I can't find my notes and if I can't find the damn notebook with our flight information, so no need to worry about my medical ethics," Alex growled as he reacted to Arizona's ponderings and stomped off.

Arizona called out, "I wasn't questioning your integrity, Alex. You know that." Alex put his hand up as he continued walking away.

"What's his problem?" Bailey asked as she approached Arizona.

"He's fretting over some lost notes," Arizona sighed.

Bailey chuckled, "Mr. I'm-never-caught-up-on-my-charts is worried about losing notes? That's a good one. I wonder what he's really up to."

Jo stepped out of the elevator just as Alex was about to board it. He gently grabbed her arm and said, "Hey, have you seen my notebook? I can't find it anywhere."

Jo reached into her pocket, momentarily forgetting she'd set the notebook down earlier. "Yeah, I had it, then I was paged to a code."

Alex, a bit too intensely, urged, "Well, where is it?"

Gazing toward the ceiling as she attempted to retrace her movements, Jo said, "I'm not sure. Give me a second…" Alex folded his arms and looked at Jo impatiently. She moved her eyes downward and quipped, "You're not helping. Stop staring at me."

"Well, where the hell is it?" Alex snarled.

Jo resumed looking upward, trying to recall the whereabouts of the notebook. Alex's pager sounded. He was being summoned to the ER. He snapped, "Well, if you remember, let me know." He held up his pager to signal that he needed to leave and he headed to the ER.

Owen was on the phone with a family doctor at the desk in the Pit. The caller wanted to share some medical information with the hospital, so Owen reached into his pocket looking for his notebook. Much to his surprise, he felt two notebooks when he reached inside. He grabbed them both and noticed that one of them did not have his, or any other, name on the cover. He set it down on the counter to deal with after the phone call. When he grabbed his pen to jot down notes, no ink came out. He tapped the pen on Alex's notebook and doodled until the ink began to flow. Then Owen wrote down the family doctor's information in his own notebook. When he hung up the phone, he saw an ambulance backing in and ran to greet it.

Meredith and Alex were already outside waiting for the ambulance. Alex was describing his lost notebook and asked Meredith to let him know if she spotted it. As the ambulance doors opened, the paramedics began sharing details about the young teen who had been involved in a car accident. Owen arrived and confirmed they had the situation handled. Not needed on the case, he returned inside and saw Kepner flipping through a notebook quizzically.

"Is that the notebook that was on the counter?" Owen asked April.

"Yeah, I saw it just sitting here, so I decided to see if I could find a name on it. Is it yours?" she asked.

"No, I'm not sure who it belongs to. Somehow, it ended up in my pocket at some point," Owen shared.

April spotted the notes on PGD and wondered if the book belonged to someone in OB. She slipped it into her pocket, planning to take it upstairs later.

Alex came out of the treatment room and walked over to Kepner, requesting, "Hey, can you page Torres? The kid needs her more than me. Mer's handling the abdominal injuries."

"And you can't call Dr. Torres…because…?" April inquired.

Trying to save face, Alex threw together an excuse, "You were standing there, I just thought, you know, you were closer to the phone. Forget it – I'll do it." Alex reached for the phone and his hand ended up on top of April's hand as she clasped the receiver.

April shoved Alex's hand off of hers. "I didn't say I wouldn't do it, I just wanted clarification why you thought I was your secretary," April said as she lifted the receiver to her ear and dialed in Torres' pager number.

"I don't think you're my secretary, Kepner. What the hell?" Alex growled.

Meredith came over, furrowed her brow and tried to clarify what she'd just heard, "You don't have a secretary, Alex, what are you talking about?"

April put a hand on her hip and said, "He asked me to page Torres _for him_."

"Why couldn't you do it?" Meredith asked Alex with indignation, "Is it below you as a _male _doctor?"

"I'm outta here," Alex said as he shook his head and walked away. About ten steps later, Alex looked over his shoulder and called to Meredith, "And, hey, let me know if you find that notebook!"

"Notebook?" April asked with confusion.

"Long story. You know those hospital spirals that fit in our lab coat pockets? Alex lost one today and he's all upset about it," Mer explained.

April reached into her pocket, "Could this be it? I don't know why he'd have notes about IVF and preimplantation procedures, but Dr. Hunt found this and then I found it and neither of us know where it came from…"

Mer grabbed the notebook and recognized Alex's handwriting, "Yes! It's his. Thanks!" She ran to the elevator and called out to Alex. "Hey, Alex, look what I found."

"Where the hell was it?" Alex asked Meredith as they boarded the elevator.

"Kepner had it. Apparently Dr. Hunt ended up with it and then she…" Meredith attempted to explain before Alex interrupted.

"Whatever." Alex looked at his watch as the elevator doors opened on the next floor. Jo and Stephanie stepped in and Alex said to Jo, "We need to leave in about an hour. Do you still have that surgery this afternoon? How are we going to work that?"

"The patient died. I can leave," Jo stated factually.

Alex scrunched up his face before answering, "Ok…I guess that's…a good thing." Without taking the notebook from Meredith, who was leaning in the corner with her eyes closed, Alex stepped off the elevator and headed to the NICU. Jo accompanied him.

As the elevator doors closed, Meredith opened her eyes and noticed Alex had stepped off without taking his notebook. At the next floor, Meredith stepped off and headed toward the Attendings' Lounge. When she sat down and put her feet up, she peeked at Alex's notebook. She flipped through some patient notes and some flight information. She saw a partial grocery list and a random phone number without a name next to it. Then, she came to the notes on PGD and became deeply intrigued.

Meanwhile, as they walked to the NICU, Alex looked at Jo and focused his gaze upon her, "How are you doing with all this stuff?"

Jo cocked her head, "What stuff?"

"You know," Alex explained, "going to LA for testing and trying to figure out why we're not getting pregnant."

Jo beamed as she threw her arms around Alex and kissed him, exclaiming, "I love that you just said _we_."

Alex folded his arms and took in a deep breath, "Well, it's not something you can do without me. I mean, we're in this together, right?"

Resting her head on his shoulder, Jo responded, "Absolutely."


	32. Chapter 32 - Hurry Up and Wait

**Chapter 32**

**Hurry Up and Wait**

Alex rushed in to the Attendings' Lounge, still fretting over his lost notebook. He noticed Meredith was sitting on the couch concentrating deeply as she read. Proceeding to the coffee pot, Alex poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in a chair near Meredith.

"You look focused," he observed. "prepping for some amazing surgery?"

"No," Meredith said slowly as she kept her eyes fixed on the page, "I'm reading about Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis." Meredith was so intrigued by the topic, and what it could mean if she and Derek chose to have more children, that she forgot she was reading Alex's notes.

Alex scrunched up his face and turned a bit to the side before leaning toward Meredith and grabbing his notebook out of her hands. "Hey!" she yelled.

"Hey, you! This is _my _notebook. The one I've been looking for all freaking day! Why the hell are you _reading_ _my_ notes?" Alex huffed.

Meredith pursed her lips and sighed as she looked up at Alex. "I was going to page you and remind you that I still had it, Alex. Settle down."

"Settle down?! Mer, I told you how stressed I was about this damn thing. Instead of paging me, you came in here, put your feet up and started nosing through my private notes?!" Alex growled.

"Alex, you have no secrets from me," Meredith dismissed. "Besides, like I said, I was going to page you. This PGD stuff just caught my eye, that's all. Why are you taking notes about it? You're not an OB."

Alex looked around the room, even though he already knew the two of them were there alone. He shared, "Jo and I are leaving tonight for LA. Well, Charlotte's going too, but that's beside the point. Anyway, we're meeting with Addison's husband to see if he can figure out why we aren't getting pregnant."

Meredith sat up and looked softly at Alex, "I guess you do have secrets from me, Alex Karev. I had no idea you two were trying. I mean…this is you were talking about, so I figured there was plenty of sex going on, but I had no idea it was unprotected se.."

Interrupting, Alex put his hand up toward Meredith, "We are not going to discuss my sex life, Mer." Then he grinned and added, "Other than to say that it's great." Alex stretched his arms upward and brought them down on either side of his chair, looking self-satisfied with his proclamation.

Unimpressed, Meredith rolled her eyes and returned to the topic, "How long have you been trying?"

Alex tried to shrug off his concern and mumbled, "About 18 months."

"Oh," Meredith responded softly. "That's a long time."

"Yeah," Alex began to stand up and explained, "I need to get everyone and head out to the airport."

"Alex?" Meredith inquired. "I'm interested in PGD. I wish you hadn't kept this information a secret. Imagine what it could do for Derek and I if we decide to have more children. PGD could mean we could screen out Alzheimer's."

"I just read about it, Mer. It's all new to me. I came across the article and have been researching it ever since. I haven't even talked to Jo about it – but I'm thinking we could prevent the risk of addiction issues and schizophrenia," Alex disclosed. "And who knows what genes she carries – we don't know anything about her parents."

"Why haven't you spoken with her about it, Alex?" Meredith urged.

Alex looked at the floor and shrugged, "I don't know how she'd feel about it. Some people see huge ethics issues with designer babies and all that."

Meredith stood up and hugged Alex, "Talk to her about it. She'll hear you out. You're just trying to be a thoughtful, great dad."

"I'm scared, Mer," Alex admitted as he hugged her back. "What if she can't have kids? What if it's me? What if I can't father more kids?"

"Alex, that's why you're going to LA." Meredith stepped back and pushed Alex gently on the shoulder. "Now, go, or you'll miss your flight."

Alex grinned and kidded, "That's right, you know my flight time from spying on me and reading my notes. Good thing I keep my notes about you somewhere else."

"Go!" Meredith grinned. "And have a safe trip."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

The Karev's reached the airport with plenty of time to spare. Jo was tense, but trying to appear chipper as she anticipated the testing and conversations they'd have in LA. Charlotte, still forlorn about being grounded and being away from Matt, attempted to find every opportunity possible to sigh loudly and to look melancholy. Faced with all the emotions swirling in his midst, Alex tried to remain in auto-pilot and simply deal with tickets, checking bags, and finding the gate.

Purposely, upon checking in, Alex arranged for Charlotte to be near the back of the plane in a window seat while he and Jo were side by side closer to the front. Listening to Charlotte whine and moan was not on his list of desirable experiences. Charlotte could not have been more thrilled to be as far away from her parents as possible, even if she had no iPod to listen to nor phone to put in airplane mode for gaming.

Unintentionally, Alex fretted and fussed over Jo as if she were already far along in a pregnancy. He carried her bag, attempted to guide her when she stepped on an escalator, and was generally uber-attentive. While it both touched her and drove her nuts, Jo grinned thankfully each time he tried to help.

Charlotte bee-lined for her seat as soon as they boarded the plane. Any moment without her father's watchful eye was a welcome one. A handsome young military officer just happened to be assigned to the seat next to her. He assumed, like most did, that Charlotte was in her 20s. They chatted and laughed the whole way to LA.

Alex gave Jo the window seat and sat down next to her, grasping her hand as the plane prepared for takeoff. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispering, "Hey…I love you."

Jo smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, asking, "It's all going to be ok, right?"

Moving his arm around her and hugging her close to his side, Alex reassured her, "One way or another. Yeah."

As the flight continued, Alex pulled out the Neonatology journal and handed it to Jo. "I finished this, did you want to read it?"

"Oh, thanks for remembering," Jo smiled. "Yeah, I do want to read it. Just not right now. Good articles in this edition? Didn't you say something about one on post-op monitoring? Was it helpful?"

Alex grimaced and admitted, "Actually, I was intrigued by an article about PGD."

"What's that?" Jo asked quizzically.

"Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. It began in the 90s and was initially used to screen out single gene disorders like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, and Fragile X. Since then, it's expanded to screen out over 170 different mutations or to ensure that a subsequent child is a donor match for an ill older sibling," Alex explained with ease, having just studied the topic thoroughly.

Jo queried, "Isn't that the whole designer baby controversy? Where do you draw the line?"

In teaching mode, Alex responded, "That's one way to approach it. Think about someone who carries an early Alzheimer's gene or numerous cancer risks. PGD could be the ideal way for them to start a family with less fear of inherited risks."

Jo looked at Alex thoughtfully and put her tongue on her upper lip, "I suppose that's true. Maybe I will read that journal right now." He handed it to her and then grabbed his iPad out of his bag to help him pass the time.

As she read the article, Jo realized there were many considerations that had yet to cross her mind. What genes was she carrying? She had absolutely no idea about her family medical history. What could she unknowingly pass along to a child? She had no idea where she stood on the issue ethically. As she read, her head began to spin with options and possibilities. She leaned on Alex's shoulder and fell asleep halfway through the article, feeling too overwhelmed to analyze complex medical interventions related to IVF and genetics.

As she lay her head down, Alex wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head gently. He wished he could see inside her mind and discover her thoughts. Besides their foster home histories and poor upbringings, neither seemed to be fully nor enthusiastically forthcoming about feelings and emotions. Usually, that suited Alex just fine. At times like this, when they faced so much, he yearned to relate and know her thoughts more deeply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

The next day, Alex and Jo left Charlotte at the hotel while they went to meet with Jake. Charlotte had a stack of magazines and planned to lay on the beach as long as she could. Alex, of course, reminded her to use sunscreen, and Charlotte responded by saying she was well aware of that need.

Even though they were doctors, Alex and Jo waited anxiously in Jake's waiting room. Alex kept picking up magazines and flipping through them rapidly, then picking up another magazine and repeating the process. Jo looked around the waiting room, looked at her nails, rummaged in her purse, and tapped her foot as she waited. Every now and then, their eye's would meet and they'd offer each other an awkward, uncomfortable grin. After Alex had flipped through every magazine within reach, he stood up and walked over to another table and grabbed magazines from there. After flipping through two of them, he leaned back in his chair, let out a large and audible breath, and grasped Jo's hand. He squeezed it and looked at her intently, putting his head on her shoulder and whispering, "You ok?"

"I'm antsy," she said softly.

Alex nodded as he continued to hold her hand, then he bounced his leg rapidly up and down as he looked around the room. He smirked and looked at her, responding, "It'll be ok."

"Mr. and Mrs. Karev, Dr. Reilly is ready for you," a medical assistant said as she opened the door to the waiting area. Neither of them cared about being called Mr. and Mrs. They were too numb to do anything other than go through the motions.

Jake stood up from his desk and headed to his office door as the couple walked in. He smiled reassuringly at Jo as he hugged her and then he shook Alex's hand. "Please, have a seat," Jake said as he motioned to two chairs facing his desk. He walked around and sat down in his chair and beamed, "You're here. I'm so glad. How was the trip?" Both nodded without saying anything. Alex rested his elbow on the chair arm and grabbed his chin as he looked around Jake's office.

Jake had been in this situation before. He was facing a couple with whom he had great rapport previously, but now experienced them apprehensively clamming up in front of him. He spoke confidently and with ease, "I know this can seem overwhelming or surreal. How about if I begin with an overview of my process and we'll go from there?" Again, both Alex and Jo nodded without speaking.

Continuing, Jake summarized what had been completed thus far, "I have reviewed your personal medical records and the results of the blood work and semen analysis taken at your hospital. I'll get to those results in a moment. Today, I'd like to perform an ultrasound, and then consider a hysterosalpingogram or HSG and a sonohysterogram. SHG. Since you are under 37, your chances of pregnancy are hopeful. At this point, we need to focus on which fertility medications or treatments may be needed. It is unlikely that we are looking at an inability to bear children." Both Alex and Jo nodded as they took in the information.

Jo asked, "HSG? SHG? What are those exactly?"

"An HSG is a process that allows us to look at the architecture of the endometrial cavity anatomy of the uterus and fallopian tubes through dye and a series of x-rays. A cannula is inserted through the cervix and contrast is slowly injected into the uterus and fallopian tubes. X-rays are taken as the contrast works its way around. At one point, I'll have you roll to your side for an image from another angle. Through those films, we can look for polyps and fibroids. The benefit of the test is that we can have nearly immediate results," Jake explained.

"An SHG is similar to an HSG. Same initials, different order: SHG. Sonohysterogram. SHG involves a cervical catheter and saline, but gives a more detailed image. It is far more sensitive, accurate, and specific for identifying inter-uterine lesions, fibroids, polyps and other abnormalities. Traditionally, an SHG was performed when the HSG showed concerns or prior to attempting IVF. I prefer to order both tests since one gives stronger clarity on anatomy and the other on abnormalities.

He continued, "Let's take a step back, though, and talk about the ultrasound. In this case, I'll be looking for anatomical abnormalities, cysts, masses, fibroids, and counting antral follicles. The ultrasound often gives us generous amounts of information. Any questions at this point?" Jake waited patiently and allowed some silence as Alex and Jo processed what they had heard. Both responded that they did not have any questions.

"Then let me share the good news. Based on my initial review, your ovaries appear to be functional and releasing follicles normally. Jo's ovarian reserve – the remaining egg supply – appears to be in great shape and the FSH levels are pleasing. Your AMH levels also indicate a high fertility potential. We will get further details about counts and volumes through the ultrasound. Alex's semen analysis came back without concern. About 40% of infertility causes are related to the male partner, so think of this as having ruled out a great number of possibilities. Questions?" Jake said as he looked at the couple.

Alex frowned, "My head is spinning. Basically, you're saying that all our tests from Seattle looked promising, right?"

Jake smiled reassuringly and nodded, "Yes."

"Good," Jo sighed. "That's a good start?"

"It's a great start," Jake encouraged.

Alex grumbled, "Then why aren't we conceiving?"

"Good question, Alex," Jake affirmed. "I'm hopeful that either the ultrasound, HSG or SGH will tell us." Jake paused to assess Jo and Alex's states of mind. "This is a great deal of information, especially when it is in a different medical area than your specialty. What can I repeat or clarify?"

Jo bit her bottom lip and looked at Jake's desk. Jake encouraged her to share her thoughts, "Jo, what's on your mind?"

Shaking her head, Jo explained, "I'm trying to take all this in. On the surface, everything sounds great. Could you re-explain each procedure before we undergo it? Just to help me understand better."

"Absolutely," Jake confirmed. "Guys, I want to emphasize that the question for you at this point is not _whether _you can conceive, but which interventions might be needed in order to assist with conception. I have confidence that you will be able to conceive. That isn't something I say very often at this point in the game. Your outlook is very positive."

Both Alex and Jo relaxed their tense shoulders and took in deep breaths. Alex smiled a genuine, actual smile as he reached over to Jo and grasped her hand, "See. One way or another. It's all going to work out."

Jake explained that his nurse would be in shortly and emphasized that Alex was welcome to be at any of the procedures. "I think you'd have a terrible time convincing him otherwise," Jo uttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

During the tests, especially during the uncomfortable portions of the SGH and HSG, Jo witnessed the softest and most gentle side of Alex she'd ever encountered. He held her hand and encouraged her to squeeze it. At one point, he took her hair and put it up and away from her neck and face. He stroked her face and leaned next to her ear to whisper encouragement more than once. Jake commented privately to Jo that Alex would be absolutely amazing in the delivery room when the time came. Not thinking it was possible to love him any more than she already did, Jo found herself falling for Alex more deeply by the minute.

After the tests and procedures were completed, Jo dressed and the couple returned to the waiting area while Jake reviewed the results. Jake was able to assess the films and results in 30 minutes, although Alex and Jo felt as though they were lingering there for hours. Jo was still a little uncomfortable and leaned into Alex for encouragement. With his arm around her, he rubbed her arm and intermittently leaned on and kissed her head.

"You were brave," Alex said gently.

Jo shot up and glared at Alex as she responded with sass and a smile, "Oh, stop. Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

Alex enveloped her in both of his arms, squeezing her playfully, "Don't worry. I can only keep up the act for so long, Princess." Jo giggled as she returned the hug.

The medical assistant ushered the couple to Jake's office once Jake had reviewed all the data. Just as last time, he invited them to sit as he sat down in his desk chair. He began, "I'm hopeful with the results, and I'm really glad we performed all three tests. Before I begin to discuss the results, do you have any questions for me?"

Alex scratched his head and responded no. Jo asked about the cramping she was still experiencing and Jake promised to give her something stronger than the Advil she'd taken about 2 hours ago.

Jake, looking less positive and more serious than he had earlier, paused and looked at some papers on his desk. "Jo, the HSG showed that your endometrial cavity has no defects. Your uterus and fallopian tubes are nearly encyclopedia examples of normal anatomy shapes and sizes. The ultrasound allowed me to get an accurate and clear count of your follicles, and the count is well within expected limits. The SHG is a highly sensitive test that provides great accuracy. Although treatable, the SHG did detect an abnormality."

Continuing, Jake shared, "We spotted a fibroid tumor, which you know is a non-cancerous growth. Only having one fibroid visible is promising. When we see one and remove it, the recurrence level is far lower than when we spot and remove multiple fibroids. There is a surgery called a myomectomy that can be performed. Both Addison and I have done several of these procedures with very positive results. Myomectomy is an alternative procedure that leaves the womb intact. Traditional methods for dealing with fibroids – embolization and hysterectomy – do not offer the option of pregnancy. Are you with me so far?"

"I think so," Jo said. "I have a non-cancerous growth that needs to be removed and there's a way to do it without compromising my ability to bear children."

Jake pursed his lips, "That's the intention. As you both know, any time a person has a surgery, there are risks. In a handful of cases, I've seen removal of the fibroid cause uncontrollable bleeding which necessitates a hysterectomy. Other risks would be the possibility of having to have a C-section or forming adhesions that may or may not have to be removed before being able to conceive again. There is also a non-surgical option we could consider."

"What's that?" Alex asked tensely.

"In a few cases, taking hormones for 2-4 months can shrink the fibroid. It's a longshot that you could then become pregnant without surgery. Usually, I use the hormone route when the fibroid is much larger than yours. We shrink it and it becomes easier and less risky to remove."

Moving his chin downward and looking at Jake, Alex requested, "Tell us more about the surgical options." Jo looked at Alex with fear in her eyes. She was thankful he was there with her and taking the lead.

Jake explained, "With this size tumor, I would create a horizontal bikini line incision about 3-4" long. The surgery itself would take about an hour. Recovery would involve 2-3 days at the hospital with an additional 4-6 weeks at home before returning to work. As far as pregnancy is concerned, it is imperative you wait at least 3 months before becoming pregnant and couples usually conceive within a year of the procedure. There are laparoscopic options; however, I prefer a better visualization of the field."

"I'm in my 4th year of residency in a 5 year program," Jo uttered to nobody in particular. "I can't arrange for 6 weeks off or do what I need to do if I'm wigging out on hormones for 2-4 months."

Alex leaned over to Jo and put his face close to hers, "Look, Mer had an appendectomy and she arranged it. You wouldn't be the first resident with a medical issue in your 5th year."

"Guys," Jake offered, "why don't you head back to your hotel and talk it over. A decision doesn't need to be made today. You already have my cell number, call me anytime tonight. Really. Call me even if the question seems trivial. I'm here."

Alex smiled gently at Jo, "Yeah, let's go to the hotel."

Flatly, Jo said, "I don't want to deal with Charlotte right now. I just…I want to be alone with you."

Jake smiled and suggested, "I could surprise my wife by taking her out to dinner and arranging for a babysitter."

"Jake, that's asking too much. You've been with us all afternoon, you don't need to deal with our teenage daughter too," Alex insisted.

"Alex, you'd be doing _me _a favor…or rather, Charlotte would be doing me a favor. A tremendous one. I can't remember the last time Addy and I went out without some sort of meeting or commitment," Jake maintained.

Jo added, "Charlotte would probably be grateful for a break from us, Alex." Alex agreed and called Charlotte, who'd been given her phone only to receive a call from her parents or to call her parents. Quickly, the evening was arranged.

As the couple began to walk out, Jake nodded toward his nurse with a non-verbal code requesting she tend to Jo so he could talk to Alex. His need to pull one spouse aside occurred frequently in his practice. "Alex, listen. Jo is young. The two of you have plenty of time. This will all work out," Jake assured him.

Alex looked at Jake and said, "I know we're trained not to answer the question I'm about to ask and I know I hate it when patients ask me this question, but now I get it. What would you do if you were me?"

"As a doctor, I'm not going to answer. As a friend, I'd encourage you to wait until Jo is finished with residency and then try the hormone treatments before having the surgery. If you really don't want to wait and want to have a baby as soon as possible, skip the hormones and have the surgery. I'm sure I could get temporary privileges at your hospital so the surgery can occur close to home," Jake said as he patted Alex on the shoulder. "Really, Alex, the news could be so much worse. This is a very positive outcome of all the testing."

"Yeah," Alex nodded, "We'll talk. We're all still on for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Absolutely," Jake confirmed.


	33. Chapter 33 - Discoveries

**Chapter 33**

**Discoveries**

Between Addison and Jake loving the help with Henry and Alex and Jo needing time alone to process their medical news, having Charlotte stay with the Reilly's was a win-win. Addison and Jake were having such a great night out the first night that she watched Henry that they called Alex and asked if it would work for Charlotte to stay the night again. One night led to another, and soon the entire week was mapped out. All concerned couldn't have been more thrilled.

On the second evening, when Alex and Jo joined Addison and Jake for dinner, Charlotte stayed behind with Henry. Once he was asleep, Charlotte called Matt's house. She knew that Sheryl was often out for a meeting on that particular night, so she figured it was worth a try. Hearing his voice as he answered the phone made her heart sing. She smiled broadly and sighed, "Matt."

"Hey, babe. Oh, man, I miss you. How's LA?" Matt asked.

Charlotte chucked, "Full of palm trees, sunny and warm. I'm staying with some of Dad's friends, and they live right on the beach. Actually, I'm sitting out on their porch, looking at the ocean, and it's in the mid-70s at 9pm. It's pretty rough."

Matt laughed in response, "Meanwhile, it's cold, gray, and rainy here. Kind of how I feel without you."

"Awww…that's about the corniest attempt at a romantic line ever, Matt." Charlotte offered in her best Karev-ian way. "But I still love you and your effort."

"I'm not going to say anything else remotely sweet, then. Now you've spooked me," Matt teased.

The couple spoke for some time, catching up on their boring, grounded lives and sharing repeatedly how they missed one another. Matt dipped into a serious conversation, sharing, "You know, Charlotte, I've had a lot of time to think lately, and I came up with an idea." After Charlotte acknowledged that she heard him, he continued, "We already know we love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together, right?"

"Of course," Charlotte responded.

Matt added, "Next year is going to be tough, with me away and you still here in Seattle for your senior year. I've thought about what might happen the following year and I have a suggestion."

Charlotte, confused, answered, "A suggestion?"

"With my trust fund and inheritance, we'll be financially set for our whole lives. Instead of finding a college, why don't we get married when you turn 18 and you can come join me at Stanford? You've mentioned that you aren't really sure you want to go into nursing after all, anyway, so maybe you could put off college. I could always pay for you to go when you're ready. But why wait to get married? I mean, really, we know that's our plan anyway, right?" Matt offered.

"Wow, Matty," Charlotte replied with a stunned voice. "That's a pretty huge leap, isn't it?"

"You don't want to get married?" Matt asked with angst.

Charlotte paused and shared lovingly, "Of course I do. I can't imagine any other future. But we're young. And, besides, can you imagine my dad's reaction?"

"Spider, you'll be 18. You'll be able to do whatever the hell you want," Matt explained. "At what point in your life are you going to stop being afraid of your dad and his reactions?"

"This is a huge shift, Matty. I'm not opposed to it, I'm just surprised. We've always talked about waiting until we are out of college." Charlotte reminded him.

Matt agreed, "I know we have. I know. Babe, it's just that I can't wait to marry you. And I can't imagine being apart from you for more than next year. If you go to college and you end up somewhere other than where I am, it will be so hard for both of us. Besides, like I said, I can provide for us forever. I'd love for you to go to college if you have a burning desire to study something, but you haven't seemed very enthusiastic about that lately. I can set us up in a nice place, complete my studies, and, hell, we could even start a family if we want to."

Charlotte's head began to spin. She and Matt had always discussed waiting at least to get married until they had graduated from college, and maybe even waiting until he had completed either his law or medical degree. Now, he was talking about having babies and seemed to be in such a hurry. His eager shift didn't make sense. Charlotte inquired, "Are you ok? You don't have cancer or something horrible like that, do you? I mean…you just seem to be in such a hurry all of the sudden."

"I love you, Spider, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Having a family and a life together will be so incredible. And, no, I'm not dying or anything like that. I've just had a lot of time to think," Matt reassured her.

As if saved by the bell, Charlotte heard not only Addison and Jake approaching, but also Alex and Jo. She whispered quickly, "Matt, my mom and dad are on their way in the door. I gotta go. Love you." She hung up and lay back on the chaise.

The couples made their way inside. Jake noticed the slider was open and shared, "I think she's out here, guys." The four headed to the deck and said hello to Charlotte. Charlotte sat up and held up the phone, in an effort to explain why she had it, "No calls," she smiled. "I brought it out just in case I couldn't hear it from out here."

Naively, Addison affirmed, "Good idea. So how was your night? Did Henry behave?" Charlotte shared the details of the evening, which included playing in the sand and then giving Henry a bath before putting him to bed. As she spoke, Charlotte caught Jo's eyes and noticed how swollen and red they were. Then, shifting to her dad to assess if he was being a jerk and had made Jo cry, she noticed Alex's eyes were a little red and sad too. Charlotte kept talking about the evening and asked the couples about their dinner as if she hadn't noticed.

Alex sat beside Charlotte as Addison and Jo went to check on Henry and as Jake stepped away to return a page. He put his arm around her and invited her to join him for a walk on the beach. As they headed toward the surf, Alex explained the news Jake had shared with them about Jo's fibroid, stating only the highlights, "Remember how we told you that Jake was going to do some tests for us?"

"Yeah, but now that I know what kind of doctor he is, I'm confused. You guys aren't trying to have a baby, are you?" she asked with thinly disguised disgust.

Alex grinned, "Yeah, it's bad enough that you know we have sex, right?"

Charlotte put her hands up to her ears, responding, "Don't need to go there, Dad. Really. Do. Not. Need. To. Go. There."

Alex playfully pushed one of Charlotte's hands down as he disclosed, "Actually, we've been trying to conceive since our wedding. Deal with it, kid. We're trying to have a baby. Maybe even _babies._"

"Ok…" Charlotte responded with hesitation and a look of nauseated gloom. "So what's this have to do with me?"

Momentarily forgetting Charlotte was a teenager who happened to be fairly self-absorbed at times, Alex felt his body tense and his breathing become shallow. He paused as Charlotte looked at him expectantly before replying, "You would become a big sister and your family would expand. Most immediately, though, it means that we're hoping you wouldn't mind staying with Addison and Jake until we return to Seattle. Your mom and I need some time alone."

Cringing, Charlotte spouted before she could contain her words, "Ummm…eewwww…So you can work on getting pregnant? TMI, Dad."

Alex frowned and let out a huge breath, "No, Charlotte, so we can deal with some tough news. Jake figured out why we haven't conceived, and now we have some choices to consider. Your mom's taking it pretty hard. She needs to chill and I need to be there for her."

Slapped into a hardwired fear from Sophie's cancer and death, Charlotte exclaimed, "Oh, God, she's not sick is she?" Terror took over her face as she spoke.

Alex, seeking the emotional shift, grasped his daughter's hand. "She's healthy. She's not sick. We just have a few options to consider about where we go from here – one option is surgery, we could also do nothing or she could try a course of meds. She and I are trying to sort out next steps, and it would be helpful to have some time alone to think about that. We don't want you to feel like we're throwing you off on Addison and Jake, so I wanted to talk about all this with you first."

Charlotte lifted one brow and looked at her father with one of his familiar expressions, "Dad, really, that's fine. I like it over here. No offense, but it's hella chill for me to have a break from you guys too."

Alex grinned and nodded. The two turned around back toward the Reilly's and said little on the return walk. Just as Charlotte was working up the nerve to lean on Alex about her earlier conversation with Matt, Alex turned from the ocean and toward the porch, pointing out they'd arrived. Charlotte decided tonight was probably not the best night to bring up Matt's proposal anyway.

The next day, as Charlotte was running along the Santa Monica boardwalk before Addison left for work, a woman named Sasha ended up running alongside Charlotte. They struck up a casual conversation for a few minutes, and then ended up running next to each other the following day as well. On the third encounter, Sasha, who was about Jo's age, said, "This might sound a bit strange, Charlotte, but I'm an agent with Creative Artist Agency. Have you ever considered modeling?"

Charlotte stopped dead in her tracks and asked with a smile, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Seems like it, doesn't it? I'm actually serious," Sasha stated. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a card. "If you're interested, give me a call. We can talk more when we aren't running." Charlotte took the card and thanked her, then looped around for her return to Addison and Jake's place.

When Charlotte walked in, Addison was preparing Henry's breakfast. "Hey, you hungry? You're just in time for oatmeal and fruit," Addison offered.

Charlotte smiled as she caught her breath, "Actually, that'd be wonderful." As she walked over to the kitchen table, she pulled out Sasha's card and told Addison, "I just had the strangest thing happen to me."

"Really?" Addison responded. "What?" As she smiled at Charlotte, Addison realized how much she adored having her stay at the house. While, yes, a bit dramatic, her energy and buoyancy added some enthusiasm to the mix.

Charlotte explained, "The last few mornings, this woman and I seem to be on the same schedule. I didn't think much of it since I've been running at the same time each day. Anyway, today she gave me her card." Charlotte handed the card to Addie.

"I've heard of these agents. If she really works for this agency, then it's the real deal." Addison smiled. "What did she say when she gave you the card?"

"She asked if I'd ever considered modeling, which I haven't." Charlotte said. "Anyway, my dad would probably go ballistic that (a) I was chatting with someone I didn't know, and (b) that it was some sort of set up to get me into porn. It's probably best to just toss the card."

Addison stopped her, "No! I'll talk to your dad with you. Why not check it out? What have you got to lose?"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and agreed without much enthusiasm, "Ok. Maybe we can talk with him at lunch today." Charlotte warned Addison that she was also planning to bring up the conversation she'd had with Matt the previous night. Her concern about mentioning it to Alex was twofold: she'd spoken to Matt on the phone, which she wasn't supposed to have done, and Matt was pushing marriage. Charlotte doubted Alex would be thrilled by either piece of news. Addison agreed to look into the credibility of Sasha and her workplace during a break in her morning.

Around 11:30, Charlotte opened up the stroller and chased Henry into it after bribing him with fruit snacks if he'd sit down. They walked up to the restaurant where the group had planned to meet. Alex drove into town while Jo stayed behind at the hotel, appreciating the break from the rush of the hospital. She was continuing to feel despondent about next steps in trying to conceive. Addison was thankful she could slip away from the office since this was the last opportunity to dine together before the Karev's returned to Seattle the following afternoon.

Charlotte and Henry arrived first and secured a table outside. Having the beach just feet from their seats would provide an opportunity for Henry to play if he became too restless. Addison and Alex drove up at the same time and walked in to the restaurant together.

"So, your daughter had quite the interesting event occur this morning," Addison shared.

Alex, reluctantly and assuming the worst, responded, "Oh no…what did she do now?"

Addison laughed, "Alex! Don't assume the worst about your dear daughter. This is a good thing. Maybe even a great thing."

"Well what is it?" Alex inquired.

"I'll let Charlotte tell you. I just wanted to set the celebratory tone before you grumbled your way to the table," she teased.

"Whatever," Alex said flatly as he glanced up toward the sky.

When she saw her dad approach, Charlotte stood up and handed Henry to Addison. Addison took Henry into her arms and kissed her boy. Alex and Charlotte hugged and he kissed her cheek as he asked, "Hey, Spider. How's life today?"

Charlotte responded, still tucked into her dad, "Good. Life is good today. How are you?" Alex shrugged in reaction, not offering a verbal answer. Charlotte continued, "Where's Mom? I thought she was coming."

"Yeah, I did too. She's uhh…" Alex hesitated, "she's in a funk, still soaking in the news."

Addison interjected, "Tell me about the appointment. Can I ask how it went? Or would you prefer to keep it private?"

"Uh…well we were there almost all day. All our bloodwork came back hopeful. She had an ultrasound, an SGH and an HSG. Her parts are functioning, and she had a great follicle count. Everything is properly shaped and sized. Jake emphasized that we _can _get pregnant, it's just a matter of which intervention," Alex began.

Addison interrupted, "That is all really, really great news. He wouldn't give you false hope. If anything, Jake will err on the side of holding back good news. So…it's just a fluke? Or were there more findings?"

Listening intently, Charlotte was still just a tad worried about possible cancers or life threatening diseases. Even though Alex had reassured her not to be concerned about those, she just couldn't shake her fear. And the fear was re-opening her grief related to Sophie. Her "first mom," as she'd taken to calling Sophie, was all she'd thought about last night and during the first part of her run that morning.

"She has a fibroid and Jake laid out the medication and myomectomy options and risks. I felt for her, that day, too. She experienced a lot of pain from the dye," Alex concluded.

"That's not usual, but some women have worse reactions than others. As long as the pain passed by the next day, there's nothing to worry about," Addison advised. Alex nodded and then Addison supplemented her previous insights, "_One _fibroid is hopeful, Alex. Myomectomy might not even be necessary. Did Jake mention embolization?"

Alex frowned, "He said that was only an option if we didn't want to conceive."

Nodding her head and pursing her lips, Addison explained, "Jake is more conservative than I am. I fall on the side of believing that embolization can be an option that doesn't compromise fertility. It depends on the tumor, but there are times it can be a much less invasive option."

Charlotte fearfully observed, "Tumor? Dad, I thought you said it wasn't sick." Alex opened his mouth to explain, but Addison began to speak first.

Placing her hand on Charlotte's shoulder, leaning closer, and looking in her eyes, Addison promised, "Charlotte, it is a tumor but it is not cancerous. Fibroids are benign growths. They are not life threatening. Ok? No worries."

"Ok, but you two better not be hiding something from me," Charlotte warned. "Dad, I knew early on when First Mom was diagnosed with cancer and I was much younger. Don't try to protect me."

"We're not lying, Spider. Really. The tricky part has to do with whether or not to have surgery to remove the _benign_ tumor. That's the deal. Trust me," Alex comforted his daughter.

Addison was touched as she watched Alex interact with his daughter. He'd come so far since his intern year. She disclosed, "Alex, did Jake mention there is also a possibility of conception even if you do nothing? It's been known to happen."

Alex shook his head, "No, he didn't. Maybe Jo's particular fibroid won't lend itself to that."

"Perhaps. Jake may have withheld that option because he didn't want to get your hopes up. You should ask him directly – he'll share his impression."

Alex nodded and looked at Charlotte, then Addison, asking, "Enough of the baby talk. Addison said you had something interesting happen this morning, Spider."

"Yeah? I was running and this woman named Sasha gave me her card and asked me if I'd ever considered modeling," Charlotte explained nonchalantly.

"Why were you interacting with someone you don't know, Charlotte? That's like Kindergarten level safety 101." Alex growled. Charlotte looked at Addison with an expression of 'I told you so.'

Addison interjected, "Alex, listen…I checked the woman out. She's legit and her agency is credible. It ends up one of my partners is her neighbor."

"Hmmm," Alex grumbled. "Yeah, well...that's usually not a path that leads to nursing school, Charlotte. Besides, we're leaving tomorrow." He grimaced as if to communicate _so sad, too bad._ Alex didn't think Charlotte was all that interested anyway. Charlotte looked away and toward the ocean, saying nothing. Addison, picking up on the awkward silence, chit chatted with Alex about Henry and life in general. Charlotte ate silently and then offered to take Henry over to the beach to play.

Once the kids were away from the table, Addison offered, "I know I'm not her parent and I probably shouldn't stick my nose in where it doesn't belong…"

Alex interrupted, "Then don't."

"You didn't even give her a chance to share her feelings about the talent agent. Why didn't ask her about it?" Addison urged.

"She wasn't interested," Alex observed. "She didn't sound enthusiastic about it when she told me."

"All I'm saying, Alex, is that you missed a great opportunity for conversation. Instead, you just shut her down. It's no wonder she's reluctant to talk to you." Addison opined before thinking.

Alex lowered his brows and looked at Addison, "Excuse me? And what do you know? You've raised a teenager?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Addison apologized.

"Well, you did, so now we're talking about it," Alex insisted. "What do you mean my kid is reluctant to talk to me? She and I, we go running together all the time. We talk. We do pretty well."

Addison pursed her lips and looked into Alex's eyes, "In the short time I've known her, Charlotte has mentioned being afraid of your reaction to her words on multiple occasions. I'm not even sure she consciously realizes what she's saying – it's like she's sharing her inner thoughts aloud," Addison paused while Alex looked over to Charlotte and Henry on the beach. "I'm telling you this because I care about you, Alex, and I've come to care about your family, too. I'd hope that you of all people would be honest with me if you observed me getting in my own way of my relationship with my child."

Alex brought his gaze back to the table, looking down at his plate and mumbling, "Yeah. Hmmm." Alex picked up the check and excused himself to go pay for the meal. Addison watched Charlotte and Henry, wondering if she'd said too much.


	34. Chapter 34 - To Be Honest

**Chapter 34**

**To Be Honest**

"I was thinking of playing hooky this afternoon and playing with my son. Do you two mind if I bug out of here?" Addison asked Alex and Charlotte. By leaving the two of them alone, Addison hoped Alex and Charlotte would have an opportunity for some heart-to-heart conversation.

Alex looked at Charlotte, offering options, "What do you want to do? I can give you a ride back to Addison's place, we could take a walk or go check in on Mom. Maybe something else. What do you think?"

"Whatever," Charlotte shrugged, fairly disengaged and not making eye contact.

_Maybe Addison knows what she's talking about,_ Alex considered. He stood there looking at Charlotte, wondering how to best proceed. Placing his hand gently on Charlotte's chin, Alex pulled her gaze toward him, asking, "Are you ok? What's up, Spider?"

Charlotte shirked her head out of Alex's hand, responding, "You know, Dad. Actually, I'd like to be alone."

Rubbing his hand over his mouth and chin, Alex stood silently. Nearby, he saw a bench along the boardwalk and suggested, "How about if we go sit down for a few minutes? You…we…don't have to talk. I promise you can have some space in a while. I've missed you the last few days. Even if we just sit there…I'd….well, I'd like that."

Once again, Charlotte answered, "Whatever." She began trudging toward the bench and fell limply on one end of it. Alex followed and sat all the way on the other end of the bench. The two looked out to the ocean and did not interact for some time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~`'

Meanwhile, still in her pajamas, Jo was sitting on the balcony at the hotel. Her emotions swung from numb to anger to desperation to forced optimism. Her laptop sat on a nearby table, waiting for the next instance when Jo would once again begin searching for information about fibroids, treatments, and pregnancies. Unbeknownst to Alex, Bailey had recently encouraged her to consider allowing her name to go forward for Chief Resident. While the role wasn't a given at this point, the possibility swirled in her mind amidst questions about pregnancy and medical leave. Attempting to decide upon and declare a specialty only added to the weight on her shoulders.

Jo pondered her options, _If I took the hormones to possibly shrink the tumor, I could be on them for up to six months. Hot flashes, fatigue, moodiness, and headaches and body aches are all common side effects. __None__ of those would be helpful during the 5__th__ year of residency. Could I even be Chief Resident if I was pregnant or on hormones or facing post-op healing. Do I even want to be Chief Resident? Why would any of the attendings even consider me for that if I can't even decide on a specialty? Steph's got her act together more than I do and she doesn't have a family distracting her. I doubt I'd be chosen anyway. And who knows if I'll ever get pregnant? But what if I did? Sure, people have had babies during residency for years, but how would I eat well? Or get enough rest? How about maternity leave? Can I finish my residency on time? What if I want to pursue a fellowship? How can I do that with a baby in tow? _ Jo's mind was overcome with so many questions and considerations. When she wasn't thinking about all the possible questions and their multiple answers, she was crying from feeling overwhelmed or from not being able to conceive.

While the last couple hours alone had been a true gift, Jo now knew she needed Alex to help steady her and bring her back to reality. She sent him a text, _Spiralling emotionally. When will you be back?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`'

Alex and Charlotte continued to sit silently on the beachside bench. Hearing the text tone, Alex pulled his phone out of his pocket and read Jo's message. He breathed out heavily, really wanting and needing time with Charlotte. He hoped Jo would understand, texting back, _Need to be with Char. Can you call Steph? Or Jake? Addison just went home. _

Almost immediately, he received Jo's response, _I was hoping for you. Do what you need to do. _Alex imagined her tone of voice sighing out the first sentence and grumbling the second. He sighed and texted back, _Sorry. Can't be two places at once. _

Charlotte turned toward Alex, flatly saying "If you need to go, go."

Shrugging, Alex wrinkled up his face and grinned, "I don't need to go anywhere. It's good sitting here with you." His text tone sounded again and Alex glanced down to see, _How often do I ask to be first Alex? _Lying, Alex said to Charlotte, "Dammit. This one is about a patient. Sit tight. I'll be right back, ok?" Charlotte raised her shoulders and turned her gaze back to the ocean.

"Hey," Alex said when Jo answered the phone. "Listen, Jo. I want to be there with you, but I'm being pulled in two directions. Can you sit tight? I'll be back later."

"Alex," Jo whined, "I'm crying uncontrollably, then thinking of 1000 different questions and problems and then getting obsessed with researching fibroids online. I need to snap out of this."

Thinking he was being helpful, Alex insensitively suggested, "Maybe you're gonna start your period. That's what it sounds like to me."

Jo sighed audibly as she cried, "You're not helping."

"What? You're being all whack and emotional. That usually only happens at one time of the month. That's all I'm saying. Why don't you go for a walk or something?" Alex advised, again not engaging emotionally.

"I'm still in my PJs," Jo explained.

"Then take a shower," Alex instructed as he rolled his eyes. Kicking just a bit into compassionate awareness, he continued, "It'll probably make you feel better, won't it?"

"Whatever, Alex. Never mind. Forget I even contacted you. I'll see you when I see you," Jo responded with resignation but without anger as she hung up. She knew that sometimes her husband was simply clueless.

Alex thought to himself, _Freaking hormones. _He walked back over to Charlotte and decided they'd sat quietly long enough. Whether she liked it or not, Alex was planning to take the lead and figure out a way to have a conversation with Charlotte.

"C'mon, let's go," Alex said as he came within earshot.

Charlotte looked over at him with tears on her cheeks and in her eyes, "Where?"

"Why are you crying?" Alex asked as if he were doing research rather than with a caring, gentle nudge.

Charlotte shook her head and wiped her eyes, "I'm not. Whatever. Where are we going?"

Alex repeated himself, as he sat down next to Charlotte and put his arm around her. This time, his tone was more emotionally engaged, "Why are you crying, Spider?"

"Dad, do you really want to go there? We don't have to talk if you don't want to. I can call Sheryl or Arizona if you let me have my phone," Charlotte said, trying lovingly to give her dad an out.

Alex's arm remained around his daughter and his hand rested on her upper arm. Lowering his brow, Alex patted Charlotte's arm and then squeezed, "I want to be here for you, Charlotte. Really. I'm…I'm trying here."

Charlotte turned her head to look at her dad, smiling gently she observed, "I know you are, Dad. I don't doubt that. I'm all emotional and I know you aren't into that."

"Help me get better at it. Tell me what's up and I'll try my best to not be an ass," Alex suggested as both he and Charlotte laughed softly in response.

Charlotte rested her head on Alex's shoulder, "Can we just sit like this while we talk? Just look at the ocean and sit here and have a conversation without walking around or going somewhere?"

"Sure," Alex agreed.

Charlotte closed her eyes and took a few slow breaths before explaining, "I've got two things on my mind and the more I think about them, the more they seem to be related. If you need to freak out, can you wait until I've said my piece?" Without waiting for an answer, Charlotte continued, "To start, I need to admit I did something that's going to piss you off. But, again, can we put that reaction on hold? Because what's on my mind is bigger than that."

"Ohhhhhh…kay," Alex said with hesitation, wondering how upset he would be and how challenging he would find self-control to be.

"The other night, I talked to Matt. Yep, I know. I shouldn't have. That's the part to set aside for a minute. Anyway, Dad, it was weird. He told me he's been thinking and wants us to get married as soon as I turn 18." She paused, assuming Alex would react even though he did not. "Matt and I have talked about this 1000 times and our plan has always been to wait at least until I graduate from _college_. The other night, he was talking about wanting to get married basically in a year and telling me how we're set financially so we don't have anything to worry about and he even said maybe we could start having babies earlier than we'd planned. It freaked me out and I've felt weird about it ever since. Then with this agent thing," Charlotte continued without a breath so she could spill everything at once, "I'm kind of intrigued. I hope you don't get mad for me saying this, but I thought you were abrupt at lunch when this came up."

Rather than responding to the topics, Alex asked, "When we talk, you almost always say words like 'I hope you don't get mad' and 'please don't freak out.' Are you that afraid to talk to me, Spider?"

"Crap, Dad," Charlotte stated with surprise, "I dunno. Do I do that?"

"You just did. At least 4 times," Alex observed.

"Oh," Charlotte responded without knowing what more to say.

"Just wondering. Am I that volatile? That scary?" Alex wondered aloud.

"Ummmm…I thought we were gonna talk about my stuff, Dad," Charlotte said, both out of confusion and out of not wanting to provide an honest answer to his questions. "Can we pick that up later?"

"Yeah. Sure," Alex agreed. "So where were we?" Alex's cell vibrated, but he ignored it.

Charlotte folded her arms while remaining underneath her father's arm, "I told you about Matt being weird and mentioned the agent thing."

Alex stifled a laugh, thinking, _Ah, yeah, thanks for that detailed summary, kid. _"What do you want to hear from me?"

Charlotte thought to herself, _He is so incredibly clueless sometimes. _"Dad…you asked me why I was crying. I just told you. That's why I told you. Because you asked." Charlotte bordered on sounding as if she was speaking to a 5 year old. "What do I want to hear from you? I guess I want to hear what you think about the Matt stuff and, honestly, if it's ok for me to say this without getting in trouble, I'd like an apology about what happened at lunch."

"See that? You just did it again," Alex pointed out.

Charlotte sighed, "Huh?"

"Explaining you're saying something honest and hoping it won't piss me off," Alex elucidated.

"I thought we were saving that for later, Dad," Charlotte said with a hint of exasperation.

"Right," Alex nodded. "You really want to know what I think? 'Cause I can't unsay it once I tell you." Charlotte nodded, so Alex continued, "I think Matt is worried about moving to college and being away from you and that he thinks he won't be as worried if you two are engaged."

Charlotte hesitated, trying to put words to her thoughts, "Does it mean I don't really love him if I don't want to get engaged yet?"

Alex chuckled softly, "No, Spider. Wanting to wait doesn't mean you don't love him." Alex felt his phone vibrate again, but he chose to continue ignoring it.

Charlotte sniffled and began to cry, "I do love him, Dad. But I can't marry him as soon as I turn 18. I just can't believe that's a good idea. I mean, unless I was pregnant or something, but I'm not and we're careful, so…"

Alex cleared his throat as he tried to contain his reaction, interrupting with, "Right. Then, tell him that…maybe just the first part, anyway." Charlotte wiped her tears and sniffled again. The two sat there quietly as they watched the waves roll in and out.

Breaking the silence, Alex offered, "I'm sorry I was abrupt at lunch."

"Thanks," Charlotte said softly. "Can we talk about the agent or are you just completely, positively, can't-be-talked –out-of-it certain that it's a no go?"

"Are you even interested in it?" Alex inquired with surprise.

"I don't know. Maybe," Charlotte mused. "I think it would be interesting to meet with her and see what she has to say. I don't feel like I know enough to know how interested I am."

Alex thought aloud, "I have a bunch of questions too, Spider. You can't quit school. Would she expect you to move here? Because that's not going to happen."

Charlotte pleaded, "Can we at least call her back? Maybe she can meet with me tomorrow morning."

"With _us_," Alex emphasized. For a third time, Alex's phone vibrated. He casually pulled it out of his pocket to see a series of texts from Jo. The first said she was going for a walk and wanted to let him know. The second said she'd called Jake and was on her way to his office. Her last text said she'd arrived at Jake's office and was hoping Alex could join her there. Alex texted back, _I've got the kid, so if I come, she comes too. _Jo texted back that was fine with her.

Alex explained to Charlotte that Jo needed them to head to Jake's office. Charlotte offered to walk back to Addison's alone, but Alex insisted Charlotte go with him so they could chat. Not only did he want to talk to her about sneaking a phone call to Matt, he also wanted to hear her answers about approaching him. Lastly, and before they drove to Jake's, he wanted to call the agent. He wanted Charlotte close in case the agent was available to meet right away. Able to speak with her directly, Alex set up an appointment with Sasha for the following morning. The conversation reassured him that the unique situation was on the up and up.

"Here's the deal," Alex disclosed as they drove to Jake's office, "tell me the truth about all the hesitation when you talk with me and I'll forget about the call to Matt."

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Dad. I guess I'm just always a little worried I'll get in trouble. When I get in trouble, you tend to either yell, which freaks me out, or impose all sorts of consequences, which I hate," Charlotte divulged.

Alex nodded, "Sounds pretty honest. Yelling bugs you? You've never said anything about that."

"First Mom never yelled. Really, Dad, never. It used to bother me more when I first moved here," Charlotte offered. "I still get uncomfortable, but I've tried to get used to it."

"I wish I'd known," Alex stated. "I'm not sure I could've avoided ever yelling, but at least I would have known. Why didn't you tell me?"

Charlotte laughed, "Mom might not have yelled, but she was definitely crystal clear that any opinions I had about her parenting were not up for discussion. Questioning her decisions was absolutely, completely, without exception not allowed."

"You've never had a problem sharing your opinions about my parenting with me," Alex chuckled.

"You're not her," Charlotte clarified. "And I haven't commented aloud on every parenting move you've made, Dad. Even if I did have an opinion, I kept some of them to myself."

Alex glanced over at Charlotte as he responded, "I'm not sure if that should be reassuring or terrifying. Is that a good thing?"

Charlotte smiled, "Mom and I rarely had the kinds of conversations I have with you. The relationship between Mom and I was different – basically, she was lovingly but clearly in charge and my job was to be obedient. Usually, you focus more on relating and understanding. I've really liked being able to share from my heart. It's helped me grow up."

Alex felt a lump in his throat and was a little choked up. Silently, he drove the rest of the way to Jake's office. When they arrived, he told Charlotte to wait a second before getting out of the car. Then he walked over to her side and opened the door, saying as he hugged her, "You've helped me grow up, too, Spider. I love you, kiddo."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

Charlotte waited in the waiting room while Alex went back to Jake's office to be with Jo. He walked in with a look of concern, and asked, "What's up?" Jake looked up and grinned as Jo turned to face Alex. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Alex sat down next to Jo and grasped her hand with both of his hands. Then, he expectantly looked back and forth between Jake and Jo.

Jake looked at Jo, on-verbally expressing _Shall I talk or you?_ Jo nodded toward Jake, who shared, "Alex, we've been talking about options, timing, and risks."

Alex looked at Jo and whispered, "What is it?" Jake stood up and excused himself so the couple could chat alone.

Jo began weeping and admitted, "I just can't do the hormone option, ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course that's ok. Hey…" Alex said as he leaned toward her. "Jo…we don't need to decide anything _today. _There's no need to put this much pressure on yourself."

"What if we just waited completely? Didn't even try for now? Can you wait? Will you forgive me if I want to take a break from all this?" Jo whimpered.

Alex moved his chair so he and Jo were sitting knee to knee. He grabbed one of her hands in each of his hands and pressed his lips together as he looked intently in her eyes, "I'm here to stay, baby or not. I'm not going anywhere, whether we keep trying or wait for years, ok? I want babies with you, but there's no timeline. And if we have to wait or if we don't ever have more children, it'll be what it is. I love _you_ and nothing is going to change that." Alex reached up and wiped Jo's eyes with his thumb before kissing her on the forehead, the nose and then her lips.


	35. Chapter 35 - Looking Toward the Future

**Chapter 35**

**Looking Toward the Future**

The Monday morning meeting with the modeling agency went incredibly well. Although Alex entered skeptical and unsure, Sasha was able to assuage his doubts. By the end of the meeting, plans were sketched out for Charlotte to move to Los Angeles after Spring Break. The agency offered chaperoned housing for the models under 18, which Alex found fantastic; Charlotte was not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of sharing a room with other girls and the plan of having some stranger with a bunch of agency policies ruling over her. Going home to Seattle until the end of the school quarter would provide a smoother transition and would give the family time to become used to the idea of Charlotte living away from home.

On the way back to the car, Alex mentioned to Charlotte that his consent was highly conditional. Mid-summer, he would reassess the modeling arrangements and decide if he would let her continue. On paper and in conversation with Sasha, all the details and plans sounded stellar. If the reality was not similar to what he expected and anticipated, he planned to have her return home. Somewhat in a nod to Sophie but also out of his fatherly protectiveness, Alex made sure that his parameters about the types of shoots and the types of clothing she would model were spelled out in the contract. Under no circumstance, even if covered suggestively, would Charlotte pose without clothing and the apparel needed to meet a certain level of decorum.

Jo, who had attended the meeting but not participated much, held Alex's hand with a strong grasp. In the last week, she'd held tightly to him emotionally. Whenever possible, she would be right at his side holding his hand as if her life depended upon it. She was so numb that she was completely fine with not having had sex since they arrived in Los Angeles. In fact, the question of why they hadn't made love in over a week had actually not even crossed her mind.

The plane ride and return trip home were uneventful. The day after returning to Seattle, Alex's schedule resumed its familiar pattern. Charlotte did not start school until the following Monday. Since she was still grounded, however, she was at home all week with very little to do.

Jo, on the other hand, remained fairly bewildered during the initial days back in Seattle. Alex was concerned when she called in sick Tuesday and Wednesday, their first days back at work. Jo was someone who tried to never take a sick day, and he could tell she was not actually ill either day. While he kept hoping to talk to Jo about her funk, the hospital seemed to have saved up cases while he was gone. He worked long days and even some long nights that first week back. When he was home, he seemed to have an unending list of reasons to avoid intimacy. Either he was too tired, had to go for a run or needed to do some research. He was pleasant and kind, but barely touched Jo. The lack of physical contact and of making love left her feeling all the more isolated and alone.

When Charlotte woke up on Wednesday around noon, she heard Jo sobbing. Charlotte stayed in bed, wondering if she should check on her mom or pretend she hadn't noticed the crying. Still trying to make sense of the idea that her parents actually wanted to have another child, Charlotte was puzzled by how strongly the recent news was impacting Jo. As the weeping provided background noise, Charlotte thought to herself, _Babies do the same thing. They cry. A lot. Why would Mom and Dad want to do that to themselves? All babies do is cry and pee and poop and eat, then repeat the cycle again and again. What's so desirable or cute about that? _For the life of her, Charlotte could not even begin to comprehend why two busy doctors with a child about to leave home would want to start all over again and be saddled with another child for 18 years. Her dad, as far as she was concerned, would be ancient by the time that baby left home.

The sobbing continued and Charlotte found herself putting her pillow over her head to drown out the sound. Then, as if Sophie was standing in front of her admonishing her, she thought _Charlotte, Jo is upset, your job is to try to help. Go hug her. _Charlotte shuddered, feeling as if Sophie had indeed just whispered to her. Forcing herself out of bed, Charlotte headed across the hall.

Knocking softly and then entering, Charlotte said softly, "Mom?"

Jo quickly wiped her face and eyes as she pasted on a fake smile, "Hey, Spider. Did you sleep well?"

Charlotte proceeded to crawl into her parents' bed and snuggle up to Jo. She grasped Jo's hand and leaned her head against Jo's shoulder, "I heard you crying. Are you ok, Mom?"

Sniffling, Jo attempted to shift the focus onto Charlotte, "Oh, Spider, did I wake you up? I'm so sorry."

"No. It's noon. I woke up because I've been sleeping forever," Charlotte explained factually. "Why are you crying?"

Jo cleared her throat, "I don't want you to have to worry about that, Charlotte. I'm just in a sad space this morning. It'll pass."

"Mom," Charlotte observed gently, "you've been in a sad space since the first full day in LA. Dad explained why we went there and what Dr. Reilly discovered. I know you two have been trying to get pregnant. I wish there was a way I could fix all this for you, or at least a way I could help."

Jo did not respond right away. She took some deep breaths and silently shed a few more tears before admitting, "I'm not sure what to do, Spider. Your dad and I have tried to get pregnant since right before you came into our lives. Now I know there's this tumor in my uterus controlling my ability to conceive. I need some time to let all the news sink in."

Charlotte could appreciate needing time alone to sort out one's thoughts. She offered, "Would you like me to leave you alone? I can hang out downstairs so you can have some space."

"Actually, Spider, I'd love it if you just kept sitting her beside me," Jo nearly begged.

"I can do that," Charlotte agreed as she continued holding Jo's hand and leaning against her. "I heard Dad and Dr. Montgomery talking a little at lunch the other day, so I know a little bit about the different choices. What do you think about the options?"

In medical mode, Jo described, "There are three main options: surgery, do nothing, or try medication hoping it will shrink the tumor. We could choose to have it cut out a few different ways, to have a less serious surgery that would cut off the tumor's blood supply or to have the tumor completely removed. Right now, I can't even begin to decide what to do. Everything has risks and I'm not sure what chances I'm willing to take. It sucks."

Charlotte leaned in even closer to Jo and squeezed her hand. "I've never believed the garbage about God having a detailed plan, but I do think God has hopes for our lives. Somehow, God doesn't manage every detail, but does intervene and act in our lives sometimes. Maybe the baby God has in mind for you and Dad just isn't ready to be conceived yet."

Turning her head to kiss Charlotte's forehead, Jo smiled softly, "Maybe." After a few seconds of silence, Jo added, "When I face times like this where I don't know what to do, I wish I had a Mom of my own to consult."

Realizing she'd never heard any details about her mom's mom, Charlotte thought about how little she knew about her parents' childhoods. Logically, though, what Jo had just shared made no sense. "Didn't _somebody _give birth to you?" Charlotte asked with gentle confusion. "I mean, everyone has a birth mom, right?"

"Oh, Spider, it's a long story. When I was two weeks old, my mother dropped me off at a fire station. I don't know why. Maybe I was a fussy baby. Maybe she was really depressed or really poor or scared or something. I have no idea. My childhood was really tough – I was raised in the foster care system in a number of homes. By the time I was your age, I was living in my car on my own."

"Really?" Charlotte sought to confirm as the reality of Jo's story sunk in. "Wow. I had no idea. You were dealt a pretty crummy deal, Mom."

"Yes and no. My past has made me who I am today. Being independent and basically destitute provided me with the opportunity to study at Princeton and Harvard for free. Few people have that handed to them. I'm pretty pleased with my life now…except for this ridiculous tumor. Your dad, actually, really helped me move on from being so overly focused on the crummy parts of my past. When we met, I finally felt like someone actually understood me and cared about me. It took a long time, but I finally was able to really trust someone else for the first time in my life," Jo mused. "Having a baby together would be our declaration to the world that the past is past and our focus is on the future."

Charlotte was impressed and even a tad overwhelmed, "One little baby could do all that? I don't mean to sound doubtful, I just never thought about what the baby would mean or signify."

Jo sighed, "I never really understood how badly I wanted a baby with your dad until I learned that my body cannot have one."

"But didn't Dr. Reilly say you _can _have a baby?" Charlotte sought to clarify.

"He did," Jo confirmed, "but the surgical options have risks. If they found something once they were operating or if the tumor was too challenging to handle, I could end up with a hysterectomy. Even if I kept all my parts, there's no _guarantee _I will conceive."

Charlotte thought about all Jo had shared. "It must be kind of scary for you, all these options and all this news."

Jo leaned her head closer to Charlotte's, acknowledging, "I feel like I left a part of myself in Dr. Reilly's office the day we heard the news. I'm just kind of numb."

"And sad," Charlotte observed. "It makes a lot of sense to be so sad, Mom. It even makes sense to be scared and confused, maybe even angry. I'm sorry you're going through this."

"Thanks, Spider," Jo said, "I am too. But you know what? I _do _have a baby, she just happens to be 16."

Charlotte laughed softly before admitting, "Yeah, I can be kind of a baby sometimes. Although, I know I'm more often a pain in the ass."

Giggling in response, Jo said, "True and watch your language."

"Dad says it all the time," Charlotte insisted.

"Yes, but he shouldn't say it either, and he's an adult. Furthermore, I'm your mother, not his, and I'm making myself clear, right?" Jo confirmed with a motherly tone.

"There's the mom I dread but love," Charlotte prodded.

"What do you say we take showers and go treat ourselves to lunch? I think we both need a change of scenery," Jo suggested.

Charlotte, remembering the first time she went out to eat with her dad and Jo, implored, "Anywhere but the hospital."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

Alex's day was so packed that over ten hours passed before he stopped to notice that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. _No wonder I'm on the verge of losing it,_ he thought. He'd arrived at the hospital for rounds at 7:00 am and hustled non-stop. After one last stop in Peds, Alex turned his charts over to a resident and headed home. Before stepping out of the hospital, he'd texted Jo to ask if he should pick up dinner. Much to his surprise, Jo sent him a text letting him know that she and Charlotte were making dinner. _She must be feeling better,_ he thought happily.

When he arrived home a few minutes later, he headed directly to the kitchen. His heart warmed as he approached and heard Jo and Charlotte laughing and talking. Charlotte was closest to the doorway. Alex approached her first and gave her a hug. Then, he walked to the other side of the island and put his hand on Jo's arm. Looking in her eyes, he inquired, "You're doing better?"

"A little," Jo replied. "Charlotte and I had a wonderful afternoon."

Alex grinned and scooped out a spoonful of stew from the pot, "Yeah? What did you two do?"

"We had lunch at that café that Dr. Kepner and I go to on Sundays after church, went to see a movie, and stopped for ice cream on the way home," Charlotte shared.

Joking, Alex asked, "Did you see that new action film about the guy that…"

Simultaneously, the Karev women interjected firmly, "No."

"Chick flick," Alex declared as he scooped out more stew.

"Enough sampling," Jo directed with a smile. "Make yourself useful and grab the bread out of the oven."

Charlotte continued the movie conversation, "We saw the movie about the woman who moves from the Midwest to New York and falls in love with her stockbroker."

Alex mimicked a huge yawn, "Glad I missed it." Then he suggested, "Why don't you set the table, Spider?" Charlotte went to the dining room, leaving Alex and Jo alone in the kitchen. Jo turned from the stove and put her arms around Alex's neck. She leaned in to kiss him, but he turned his face and gave her a huge hug. He whispered in her ear, "I gotta take a quick shower before dinner. It was a long day." Alex smirked awkwardly and headed upstairs. Jo, disappointed and puzzled about his reaction to her overture, turned back to the stove and turned off the burner.

Charlotte and Jo waited for Alex to come downstairs before starting to eat. Within a few minutes, he arrived with wet hair and was wearing sweats and an old T-shirt. He began dishing up and praising the meal. Once everyone began eating, the conversation was minimal. Charlotte could sense a weird vibe coming from her mom and noticed that her dad seemed to be faking a happy exterior. _What the hell is going on? _she wondered.

Although phones were strictly prohibited at the table, Alex's iPhone sounded an alert midway through the meal. He reached down to look at the text and said, "Mer's on her way over." Jo looked puzzled while Charlotte was indignant.

Looking at Jo, Charlotte groaned, "I thought phones were absolutely, positively not allowed at the table." Charlotte knew that if her phone sounded while at the table, it would be taken away in a hot minute. She was resentful that not only could Alex's phone sound, somehow reading the text was acceptable too.

"Me too," Jo responded as she continued eating.

"Are you guys fighting?" Charlotte asked her parents.

"No. Why would you think that?" Jo responded. Alex shot Charlotte a strange look of mock confusion.

Charlotte frowned and offered, "Dinner just seems weird tonight."

"Everything is fine," Alex stated, attempting to convince himself and everyone else. He heard Mer come in the door and excused himself to go touch base with her in the living room. Jo looked up expressionless, but Charlotte could tell thoughts were swirling in her mother's head.

"I'm done eating. May I be excused?" Charlotte asked, wanting to remove herself from the strangeness.

Jo nodded her head and instructed, "If you're going upstairs, come back down in 15 minutes to clear the table and do dishes." Charlotte nodded and headed toward the stairs. She couldn't help but catch part of Alex's conversation with Meredith. They were seated next to each other, facing the fireplace. Neither noticed Charlotte approaching and Charlotte slowed her walk so she could move effectively eavesdrop.

"How did you even know?" Alex inquired with intensity and aggravation.

Meredith urged, "Edwards was on my service today. The topic, well, it came up much like it often does in the OR."

Alex said, "It's just…well…it's like when Izzy had cancer. I just can't. She's too fragile."

"You're not going to hurt her, Alex. Don't be ridiculous. If anything, it would comfort and reassure her." Meredith insisted.

Finding a reason to walk back toward the dining room and then hide out around the corner bought Charlotte time to hear more. Charlotte knew Izzy was her dad's first wife and that she'd survived cancer, but she wondered what Alex was referring to when he said 'it's like when Izzy had cancer'.

Responding, Alex continued, "Mer, thanks for your concern, but this really isn't any of your business. She's in a funk anyway, she's not thinking about sex." Charlotte tried not to vomit.

"That would explain why Edwards knew something about all this, huh? Jo's not thinking about it at all but is mentioning your lack of intimacy to her best friend," Meredith whispered sarcastically.

"Remind me not to talk about my sex life next time we share an OR," Alex ordered. Charlotte cringed on multiple levels, not only had she just heard her dad refer to his sex life but now she knew that he talked about it while operating. _Beyond sick, weird, and gross, Dad! _she thought.

Charlotte decided she didn't want to hear any more of the conversation, so she popped around the corner and ran up the stairs. As she entered her bedroom, she was shaking her head, shuddering, and sticking out her tongue as if she was spitting out the taste of what she'd just digested in overhearing the conversation. She was both intrigued and horrified by the knowledge that people were discussing her parents' sex lives and that, for some unknown reason, her father couldn't bring himself to have sex with her mom. A large part of Charlotte couldn't wait for Spring Break and the move to LA.


	36. Chapter 36 - Goodbye

**Chapter 36**

**Goodbye**

_Dear Readers, I can't believe you've stuck with me through 36 chapters and thousands of words! Thank you for being a part of Charlotte's journey. Even though she seldom makes the best choices, I've come to really love her as a character. I'm going to begin the next book, entitled __Steps__, in this series. Please watch for it. __Charlotte's Web__ was written and plotted out, for the most part, as I wrote it. The arc and main themes of __Steps__ are in the process of being outlined, and then I'll be filling in the details. However, I'll still welcome your suggestions – I have enjoyed incorporating the ideas of others as I've written. I know for certain that __Steps__ will begin with Charlotte's early experiences in Los Angeles and her first visit back home. _

January flowed into February. Another Valentine's Day came, with copious amounts of flowers, jewelry, and romance filling Charlotte's day. Alex remembered to bring flowers home, after seeing signs of the holiday all around the hospital. When he finally made it home at 11pm, Jo was fast asleep assuming he'd forgotten the holiday. In a way, she was hurt. But another part of her really didn't care about flowers, or about most of life lately.

Slowly but surely, Jo had eased back into her residency as her 4th year began to draw nearer to a close. The part of her left in Jake's office still seemed to reside in LA. Alex's seeming fear of touching her or harming her through sex hadn't changed in six weeks. Jo hadn't worked up the courage to confront Alex, partly because he never seemed to have time for more than a quick kiss and an excuse about why he needed to get to the hospital right away. The Karev's marriage was strained, and Charlotte's departure day was right around the corner. Grief pervaded the Karev home and the strain of anticipation caused every occupant to be on edge.

Charlotte and Matt shared a ride to and from school on the last day before Spring Break. He surprised her throughout the day with notes, appearances, and attention. Since it was her last day at school, Matt and their friends had a surprise party for her at lunch time. Everyone in Matt's family and everyone at school had signed a book for Charlotte that Matt and his mom had created on Shutterfly.

As he drove her home from school on an uncharacteristically warm March day, Matt once again begged Charlotte to reconsider moving to Los Angeles. Matt thought that his repeated urgings helped Charlotte see how deeply he loved her. Instead, they were beginning to grate on Charlotte and feel like a vote of opposition. "Why, babe? Why are you going through with this? I can provide for our entire lifetime together," Matt reminded her as he bordered on whining.

"Matt, I've said it before, this isn't about money. Don't you think it's cool that a talent agent spotted me on the Santa Monica boardwalk and then signed me? That never happens. It'll be fun to jump in and see what happens," Charlotte enthusiastically explained for the umpteenth time.

"I guess I thought you and I were more than that," Matt responded in a combination of anger and sadness.

Charlotte fumed. For the last month, and especially since Valentine's Day, Charlotte felt like Matt had tried to play the jilted lover who was being abandoned and left behind all alone. He seemed to have forgotten that the roles would have been reversed, but the situation would have been similar, at the end of summer when he left for Stanford. Somehow, in Matt's eyes, his leaving for college was nothing like her leaving for a possible career. Even though the couple had a clear agreement that they would not yell at one another, Charlotte's patience ran thin on that afternoon. Charlotte put her hand up toward Matt and looked out the front windshield. She raised her voice and bellowed, "Enough, Matthew! Don't try to make me feel guilty because I have an opportunity. You are _not _some unfortunate, hopeless, abandoned puppy dog. Enough, Matt. Stop."

Matt abruptly pulled the Mustang in front of the Karev's house. Little did either of them know that Alex had just pulled in and was in the garage just feet away. He could clearly hear them through the Mustang's open windows. Matt threw on the brake and turned off the motor before turning to Charlotte and thundering back, "How dare you, Charlotte Sophia Karev! You know how much I love you. I love you so much that I asked you to marry me. I can't _wait_ to spend the rest of our lives together and here you are accusing me of guilt tripping you?! I can't fucking believe you, Charlotte. I thought I knew you."

"Shut up, Matt. You are trying to be such a damn victim in all this. Not once, not ONCE have you been happy for me about this. Ever since I shared the news with you, all you've done is try to find ways to talk me out of it. You've tried to talk me out of modeling, out of going to college, out of _life_ and to just stop everything in my life so I can have your crappy babies," Charlotte screamed, "Well guess what, Matt? Unlike my namesake, I don't want to have hundreds of little babies and then die of a broken heart like the spider does in Charlotte's Web. I don't want to rush into marriage and start a familly. I'm not sure I _ever_ want babies. I've got a life to live. I've told you that over and over, so don't try to tell me that this is all about how you love me so much. Because, really, you're just devastated that I have options to consider. You are NOT being fair."

In a power move but not in a hurtful way, Matt grabbed Charlotte's shoulder. He growled with deep intensity, "That's your argument, Charlotte? You're counting on the accusation that I'm not being _fair_? I offer to give you the world, to marry you, to provide for you, to meet your every need. You would never want for _anything,_ and your response is that I'm not being _fair_?!Maybe I'm not, Charlotte. Maybe I'm not being fair to myself, thinking that you'd be grateful and eager to marry me and spend your life with me. Why would I think that would be attractive to you, huh?"

"Get your hand off my shoulder," Charlotte snarled. "Now!" Matt put both his hands up on either side of his shoulders before setting them down on his legs. "Maybe what I want, Matt, is to follow my dreams. Those were the last words my mom said to me – I've told you that. '_Follow your dreams._' Listen to me, Matt, maybe you believe you can buy me the world and spoil me rotten, but I've had it with your lack of support for my dreams. Sometimes you come close to treating me like you own me. Well, Mr. Bauer who has and gets whatever the hell he wants, you do _not _own me. I am a person with my own dreams and hopes. My dream is not to be your arm candy in your fancy life. You thought you knew me, huh? Well, Matt, I thought I knew you. This guy you've been since I returned from LA is not the man I lost my virginity to and is not the man I fell in love with. I don't know who the hell you are." By this point, Alex was leaning against the wall of the garage listening to the banter with great interest. As he heard Charlotte's latest accusations, all he could think was that he was glad she wasn't breaking up with him. She was clearly pissed and was out for blood.

Matt set his head down on his steering wheel and ran his left hand through his hair. Charlotte nearly panted as she attempted to catch her breath. Without raising his head, Matt declared calmly, "I love you, Spider. I want to work this out."

Charlotte grabbed the door handle and began to exit the car. She roared, "Really? You want to work this out? Then be happy for me, you ass. Oh, and don't ever call me Spider again. Ever. Your attempts to control my life through incredible gifts and amazing sex have been lovely, but you've lost the privilege of being in my inner circle." Charlotte slammed the door and ran up the steps to the front door of the house. Alex cringed at the brief description of Charlotte's sex life while also been happy for her that the sex was good. After all, he thought, there's nothing as wonderful as great sex. Then he shook his head to erase the picture in his head of Charlotte and Matt making love.

Not really wanting to admit that he'd heard them, Alex approached Matt's car out of concern. The last thing Matt needed to be doing right now is driving. Knocking gently on Matt's window and gesturing his head to the right, Alex said, "Now's not a good time to drive, Matt. How about taking a walk to cool off? I can go with you or I can stay the hell away, but don't drive after all that."

Matt put his hands over his face and rubbed his fingers on his forehead. He nodded as he took in some slow, deep breaths and got out of the car. As he began to walk, Matt told Alex, "I'm good alone, Dr. Karev. Thanks."

Jo drove up just as Matt was departing. She smiled broadly and waved, finding it odd when Matt ignored her. After parking the car and getting out, Jo asked Alex, "What's up with him?"

"He and Charlotte just had one hell of an argument. Holy crap. They're expert level screamers. Woah," Alex related.

"What's the issue?" Jo asked with concern.

Alex tried to summarize, "She's pissed that he's sad about her leaving and he's pissed that she's pissed. He wants to give her the Bauer life and she doesn't want to be a trophy wife. He thinks she doesn't care about their relationship and she thinks he's unsupportive of her dreams. It was exhausting to listen to them."

Jo laughed and nudged Alex on the shoulder, "You listened to them fight? How'd you manage that?"

"I had just driven into the garage when they pulled up. The windows were down. I couldn't help but hear them," he clarified.

"Yeah," Jo jested, "but you could have walked away and not listened."

Alex shrugged his shoulders and returned to his car to grab his briefcase. "You're home early," he observed as he walked.

"Steph needs me to cover for her on Sunday afternoon, so she took the rest of my shift," Jo explained. She followed him into the garage and put a hand on his butt, "I was hoping maybe we could spend some time together."

Alex tried to act disappointed, sighing, "I have a huge surgery tomorrow. I need to prep and review notes. We'll see, ok?" He walked out of the garage and toward the stairs.

"Alex," Jo called. He stopped and turned around. Jo persisted, "I understand if you need to review and prep, but we really need to talk. We need to talk today."

"Why? What's up?" Alex questioned.

Jo walked over to Alex and grasped his open hand, saying softly, "Let's go inside and talk."

When they entered the house, the couple could hear Charlotte sobbing upstairs. "Shit," Alex exclaimed with disappointment. "Should we go deal with that?"

Jo shook her head, "Let's give her some space. C'mon over to the couch."

Alex headed to the kitchen, "I'm gonna grab a beer. You want anything?"

Sitting down on the couch, Jo responded, "Some water would be great." Alex returned with the drinks and asked what was up. Jo described her concerns, "Ever since we met with Jake, you haven't touched me. Like _really_ touched me. Alex, it's been weeks."

Alex looked out the living room window and took a large swig of beer, thinking to himself, _Crap. Do we really need to go there right now? _"Yeah," he scrambled, "I've been busy at the hospital. Crazy times."

"Being busy, even working around the clock, has never gotten in our way before. What's going on?" Jo begged.

Alex offered his sideways grin and raised his shoulders, "Nothin'."

Jo looked at him and held her gaze. They both knew he was holding back. Calmly, Jo spoke his name, "Alex…"

"I don't know how to explain it, ok? I just…I don't want to hurt you. I'm worried and you're sad all the time and it's just…" Alex trailed off unsure what more to say.

"Just too much emotion, right?" Jo suggested.

Alex nodded with hesitation, "Yeah, I guess. I dunno."

Jo grinned and gently reached for Alex's face, making eye contact with him, "I love you, Alex Karev. I know emotionally charged situations aren't your favorite, but, Alex, I _need _you to be here with me. It hurts me more when you avoid touching me or making love to me. Besides," she softly jested, "you've got to be bursting. Have you ever gone this long without sex?" Jo smiled as she fixed her gaze.

Alex leaned up and kissed her repeatedly. He hugged her and whispered in her ear, "What if we can't fix this baby stuff?" He began to cry as she held him. Expanding on his hidden thoughts, he added, "I want to have kids with you. I want that so bad. And I know it's hard to decide what to do, and I know we need to think through options carefully and I'll take all the time you need, but I want to hold our baby. I want to put my hand on you and feel him kicking from inside." Alex sniffled and continued, "I hate this. I _hate _this. Why can't I ever just have a kid normally?" Alex pulled away and wiped his eyes, cleared his throat and offered, "That's why I can't go there, Jo. If I open up at all, it's like Pandora's box. If I let some of the ugliness come to the surface, it doesn't stop." He leaned back toward his wife and kissed her cheek, "I'm sorry. I haven't meant to hurt you."

Jo clarified, "Him? You want to feel _him_ kicking inside me?"

Chuckling, Alex added, "Or her."

Softly, Jo requested, "Can we go upstairs and say goodbye to this sex-less streak?"

Alex sniffled again and nodded his head, "I'd like that." He stood up and offered her his hand.

They walked up to the bedroom and locked the door. Charlotte was still closed off in her room, but the sobbing had stopped. Alex lay on his back and put his left arm out, inviting Jo to snuggle in as he wrapped his arm around her. She stroked his full head of hair with her left hand as her face rested on his strong shoulder. Then her fingers wandered along the edges of his ear and her thumb traced his cheekbone. Her fingers descended to his chin, his neck, his chest. Although they fell asleep in each other's arms before making love, their shared intimacy that afternoon was deep and strong as they surrendered themselves to the present moment and shared it together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

About an hour after she'd arrived home, Charlotte heard a soft knock at the door. She knew her parents were in their bedroom and assumed, since it was unusually quiet, that they were napping. Charlotte got up and descended the stairs, seeing Matt on the other side of the glass. She stopped at the turn in the stairs and looked at him, trying to decide if she wanted to proceed.

Through the glass, Matt uttered, "Charlotte. Please."

Charlotte took a deep breath and opened the door. "My parents are asleep upstairs. Why don't we sit out here?"

Sitting down in the swing, Matt extended his hand to Charlotte. She grasped it lightly, sat down, then let go quickly. Without much emotion, she looked forward and stated, "I'm leaving on Monday."

"I know," Matt responded, looking at her. Neither said more for at least a minute when Matt added, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Charlotte admitted, still avoiding eye contact.

"Could I come down to visit sometime?" Matt questioned. He reached his hand toward hers. As he began to clasp her fingers, she moved her hand onto her lap.

"I should go inside," she explained as she looked at the ground.

Matt groaned, "Charlotte, please. Stay here. Let's work this out."

"I'll be right back," Charlotte stated as she went into the house and returned with his coat. "I…I won't need a heavy coat in Los Angeles."

"Babe, you can keep it just in case," Matt expressed as his voice weakened. Still standing, Charlotte gently set the coat on the bench. She stood in front of the swing and began to take out her earrings and take off her ring. Matt shook his head, "Charlotte…no. Don't do this, babe. No. I love you. I really crossed the line earlier. I wish I could take it all back. C'mon babe. No."

Charlotte pursed her lips tightly and continued to avoid eye contact. She reached out her handful of jewelry and explained, "Umm…the Valentine's necklace is in the coat pocket with all of the other jewelry you've ever given me. It's not right for me to keep any of it." When Matt wouldn't take the items, she set them on the coat. Slowly, she uttered, "If I find anything else, if I missed anything…I'll make sure it gets returned to you." She took a step backward.

Matt stood up and reached out for her. Charlotte turned away from him and Matt offered, "Spi…babe, please. Let's not end it like this. We're just edgy. This afternoon was just a bad time. Please." He put his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her toward him. "If you're going to break up with me, the least you could do is look me in the eye and tell me why."

Her gaze remained averted. She folded her arms in front of her as her lower lip began to quiver. Closing her eyes, she lamented, "There will always be a part of me that loves you very much, Matt, but you deserve someone who wants the life you want. That someone is not me." She opened her eyes and saw his hand at his side. She grasped it and kissed it before stepping away.

"Charlotte…" Matt begged one last time. He left the coat and all the jewelry on the porch swing as he despondently walked down to his car.

{Repeat from preamble above…just a reminder}

_Dear Readers, I can't believe you've stuck with me through 36 chapters and thousands of words! Thank you for being a part of Charlotte's journey. I'm going to begin the next book in this series, entitled __Steps__. Please watch for it. __Charlotte's Web__ was written and plotted out, for the most part, as I wrote it. The arc and main themes of __Steps__ are in the process of being outlined, and then I'll filling in the details. I know for certain that __Steps__ will begin with Charlotte's early experiences in Los Angeles and her first visit back home. _


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